Fishsticks
by Likhoradka
Summary: Castiel is a marine biologist that reluctantly joins his brother in a search for a mysterious underwater creature. Destiel.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So…I drew this picture, and figured it needed a fic to go with it. It'll be a shorter, light one. Image is linked on my profile.

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Fishsticks  
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Posters of diagrams and charts on marine mammals littered the walls of a small, cluttered office with a shuttered window. Several bookcases were overstuffed with books of various sizes, each on marine life and environments. In the midst of it all, sat Castiel Novak, marine biologist. He specialized in marine mammals, and was currently sorting a large collection of whale songs. In the middle of a particularly long note, the chipper sound of Castiel's email alerted him to a new message. He paused what he was doing, expecting a note from Naomi.

Castiel stared in dismay at his computer screen. His brother had sent him yet another photograph and article on a mysterious animal that had been washed ashore. With a sigh, he scratched at his day-old stubble and set to writing his brother a strongly worded letter on whale carcasses. Photographs included.

It was the same thing every day, and he began to dread seeing the name 'Gabriel Novak' attached to an email. Especially when the subject line read 'Unicorn sighting!', 'Mermaids walk amongst us!', or 'Bigfoot and Elvis dining with aliens?!' His older brother had a fascination with sightings of mythical beings and grotesque mutations. And who was Gabriel's go-to guy for debunking and misquoting?

Castiel groaned as he received another email from Gabriel. He wasn't even finished with the most recent! He saved a draft and opened the new message, simply labeled as 'Important!'

_Cas! As you know, I got this sweet gig at the Mythos channel! And guess what?! I can get you in on a couple of episodes. Free money for you to sit around and be our resident grumpy water expert. Best part? You get to be yourself! You don't have to pretend that anything's real. They want a skeptic. I told the producers that you'd be perfect. Showed them some of our love letters, and they think you're shoe-in! Isn't that great?!_

_I already talked to your supervisor, and Naomi says you can take the time off. Something about dolphins not going anywhere. Think of it as a research grant you didn't have to work for. You get to play in the water. I know you like that. There might be sharks. Fish. Lots of fish. Red fish, blue fish, big fish, little fish. Everything is paid for! You just have to sit there and look professional._

_I already got your plane ticket. You're meeting us in Scotland! We're wrapping up the episode with Nessie. I just need you to take over where our last expert left off. Stand in front of some old architecture, say stuff about how the Loch Ness Monster doesn't exist. What it would take for her to be alive. The usual the stuff you send me. I have an old email. You could just read that word for word._

_Please? Pleasepleasepleaseplease?! Kali left me and said she won't come back! Then she said I was immature and selfish! She was perfect! She's not coming back! I offered her my own paycheck, and she said no! What do I do? She won't talk to me! She won't talk to anyone I know. I'm going crazy out here, and I need a new expert on fish. I promise you'll have fun. Or as much fun as you can have. You don't even have to worry about Balthazar. He forgives you! There won't be any issues. I promise! Please! You gotta help me out! Think of our poor, dead mother! She would want you to help! There is only one answer, and it's YES! I'll see you soon!_

_All the love in the world for my baby bro,_

_Gabe_

Castiel glared at the computer screen. He wanted nothing to do with Gabriel's show. _Gabriel_ was the one that got off on being in front of a camera. He had made his entire living off of chasing imaginary monsters and having guest spots on documentaries. He was the crazy kook that related theories and witness stories. But, the audience loved him. Especially the female audience. It was no wonder he managed to snag his own show.

Castiel clicked on the 'reply' button. He wished he could come up with some way to let his brother down nicely, but it was impossible. There was no nice way of saying 'no' without Gabriel actually _listening_.

_Dear Gabriel,_

_I regret to inform you that I will be unable to assist you in your endeavor. Here is a list of reasons as to why it will not work:_

_1) Our mother is not dead.  
2) I have no interest in being on television.  
3) I have no interest in being misquoted nor having footage of me edited for your personal gain.  
4) I.  
5) Do.  
6) Not.  
7) Want.  
8) To._

_I suggest you see to getting a refund for that ticket as I will not be needing it._

_Sincerely,_

_Castiel Novak, _

Castiel nodded to himself and sent the email on its way. Now, maybe he could get some actual work done. He still had about fifty sound files of whale songs to catalog before he could start on the dolphins.

A soft knock interrupted him, and he slouched forward, hanging his head. 'Come in,' he called, not meaning it. He gasped as he was pulled from his chair and wrapped in a tight hug. Gold hair filled his vision, and the scent of hair gel and chocolate filled his nose. 'G-Gabriel?!'

Castiel managed to extract himself from Gabriel's hold, and he stared at his brother in disbelief. 'I…I thought you were in Scotland?!' he stuttered. 'Why are you here?!'

'I came to get you,' Gabriel replied.

'No.'

Gabriel pouted, letting his lip quiver. 'But…Naomi already approved your time off,' he said. 'She says it'll be good for you.'

'She wants to take over my project!' Castiel pointed out. 'She's been looking for any excuse to get me out of the program!'

'It's _sounds_!' Gabriel whined. 'A bunch of whales moaning and dolphins clicking! It's boring.'

'It's communication, and it's important! It's important to _me_!' Castiel grabbed Gabriel by the collar and tried to shove him out the door.

'And _this_ is important to _me_! Cas, you need to get out of this closet,' Gabriel said, bracing himself against the doorjamb. 'I'll get you back in the water. Where you belong. Looking at _real_ fish. I know it's a dumb show, but it can _open doors_!'

'No one would touch me if I went on something like that. I'd lose all respect,' Castiel said, letting go of Gabriel. Even though Gabriel was shorter, he was the stronger of the two. 'What I'm doing right now is important. Why do you think Naomi wants it for herself?'

'Cas, I was just at your apartment, packing your suitcase. Don't give me that look! I saw your fridge,' Gabriel said. He poked around the bookcases, looking at the books and seashells. 'You can't live off fishsticks.'

'I _like_ fishsticks,' Castiel argued.

'Your _cat_ eats better than you.'

True, he did have a habit of throwing himself so far into his work that he had lost sight of everything else. It was why all his relationships went downhill. It was the reason Balthazar hated him. You could only forget about a date and run off on expeditions at the last second so many times. Fifteen, in Balthazar's case. It was the trip to the Caribbean that was the last straw. 'Look, I'm doing fine. If you really need my help, then I can…I can set up a little area in my apartment to make recordings. Would that work?'

Gabriel thinned his lips as he stared up at Castiel. 'I…I wasn't gonna show you this until later, but…' He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded photograph.

'Gabriel, no,' Castiel said, turning away. 'I'm not interested in your aliens or mutants or whatever you think it is.'

'That's just it. I _don't_ know what it is,' Gabriel softly replied. 'I don't wanna show it to anyone else yet. In case I _did_ find something.'

Castiel sighed and held out his hand. He took the photograph and stared. It was surprisingly clear compared to Gabriel's normal mystery photos. Poking out just behind a reef was a long, green, scaly tail. It was striped with a darker shade of green, and its fins were lavender and violet. Fake or not, it was a beautiful specimen. He frowned as his eyes settled on the tail fin. 'It's fake,' he said.

'What?' Gabriel snatched the photograph back.

Castiel pointed to the tail. 'They did their research this time. I'll give them that. That's a very convincing scar from a shark bite, but they're trying to mix mammal and fish. The tail fin is horizontal. It's…a nice picture? Very convincing. I'm sure it'll look great on your show.'

Gabriel let his arms drop. 'But…but _I_ took it! I was the only one there! I know I was…'

Castiel remained silent. His brother was always showing him photos that he thought were real, but none of them were Gabriel's. '_You_ took it?' he eventually asked.

'Yeah,' Gabriel quietly replied. 'I didn't fake it. I swear! I was in Bora Bora, doin' some preliminary photos for the show. I didn't even think it was something weird when I took the picture. Thought a shark was swimming by or something. And that's not the only one…but it's the clearest photo I got.'

Castiel took the photo again. If it _was_ real, then…would that outweigh the stigma of being on Gabriel's show? A new species. It would certainly be more fun to be back in the water instead of being stuck behind a desk… He could always work on a personal project on Gabriel's dime if it didn't pan out. 'I'll do it,' he heard himself say.

'Great! You're all packed, and I got your cat in the car!'


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Minor edit to the first chapter: Gabe was in Bora Bora when he took his picture. Jumped the gun on choosing my location. Shoulda just stuck with my dream island to begin with.

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Fishsticks  
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Castiel stared at the small laptop screen in horror as he set down the small glass of whiskey he held. He had absolutely no recollection of the events he was watching.

_Castiel was bundled up in a heavy, black coat and a blue knitted scarf. He kicked at a nearby stump. 'You're all idiots!' he screamed. 'How can you even __**think**__ something like the…the Loch Ness Monster exists?! Look at that lake! Look at it!'_

_The camera obediently panned to the lake. Castiel reappeared in frame, pointing out to the dark water. 'Certainly not a herd or pod or…or whatever you would call a whole family of them! There is no way a lake this size could sustain them. Let's say—let's just pretend, for one moment, that there __**is**__ a lake monster. Hell, let's go all out and say it's a plesiosaur! Just one.'_

_He passed out of frame, his scarf trailing behind him. The camera soon followed, catching him stumbling along a dirt path. He spun around, and the image on the screen jerked back as Castiel glared. 'So what happened to the rest of them? Animals don't magically appear! Where are its parents?!'_

'_In the ocean?' a voice from off-camera supplied._

_Castiel pulled up straight gave a dirty look. 'Then what's a saltwater animal doing in a freshwater lake?'_

_The camera shook minutely, and Castiel rolled his eyes, continuing on his way down the dirt path. 'Okay, fine. __**Somehow**__, our sea-going creature got stuck in this lake. A plesiosaur could live, what? A hundred years or so? Okay, if the damned thing __**does**__ exist, it was first sighted in the 1930s. There have been eighty years to catch concrete proof of this thing, and…oh! There __**is**__ nothing solid!'_

_He came to a stop at the edge of the lake. 'At least with giant squids, we had their remains! Scarring on whales! This?' He waved his hand at the lake. 'With this, there's __**nothing**__! All this technology, and you have nothing to show for it! And sorry to break it to you, but even if the first sighting was of a juvenile, then you're running out of time! You have maybe twenty years to find this thing. If it even exits. Which it __**doesn't**__!'_

'_Forty if we're lucky!' Gabriel's voice added cheerfully._

_Castiel stalked past the camera. He came back into frame, dragging Gabriel with him. 'Then go find it!' he shouted as he shoved his brother into the lake. 'If anything, it's a fucking __**seal**__! Go play with your stupid photographs of seals and elephant trunks! Want me to call Elvis and see if he'll help you? I can't believe I let you drag me out here, you fucking little—'_

The scene went black and Castiel took a shaky breath. 'I guess we need to reshoot?'

Gabriel clapped Castiel on the back, laughing. 'Oh, hell no! The producers _loved_ it! They think you should do all of your segments drunk!'

Castiel pulled back, staring at his brother in shock. 'W-what?! No! I just needed to calm my nerves! I didn't mean to… I wasn't supposed to get _drunk_!'

'Not my fault you can't hold your liquor,' Gabriel replied with a shrug.

'I'm _ruined_!' Castiel moaned as he buried his head in his hands.

Gabriel rubbed Castiel's back soothingly. 'Hey…you're doing me a big favor here,' he said. 'If…if this really does ruin your career, then…I'll take care of you. Your horoscope said good things are coming.'

'I don't believe in that nonsense,' Castiel said, his voice muffled by his hands.

'That's okay. I have enough belief for both of us!' Gabriel closed the laptop and picked it up off the desk. 'Now, hurry up and get packing! We leave for Bora Bora in the morning. This is gonna be so much fun! Should we call it a sea serpent or a sea dragon? 'Cuz the eye witnesses have been calling it both.'

Castiel dropped his hand into his lap and stared up at his brother forlornly. 'You shouldn't call it anything until you have proper proof,' he replied.

Gabriel frowned at Castiel. 'But I have proof.'

'Better proof. A full shot of the body. Video… Catch one… Something more than a questionable photograph,' Castiel explained. 'The scientific community will shoot you down based on that one picture.'

'You didn't. Not entirely,' Gabriel pointed out with a smile.

Castiel shook his head as he leaned back in his chair. 'That's because I know you. And…I'm trusting that you're not lying to me.'

'I'm not,' Gabriel swore. 'Besides, I just need proof for myself. Fuck the audience. Fuck the _scientific community_. They can have blurry photos and mysterious sonar readings. I'm already a laughing stock. I don't have a career to ruin.'

Castiel wished he had his brother's positive outlook on life.

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It was a beautiful January evening in Bora Bora. Clouds were slowly drifting toward the island as a lone observer watched from the edge of a small, weather-worn pier. He was a tall, young man with soft brown hair and hazel eyes. He was Sam Winchester, the mysterious man that had washed ashore three years ago with no identity and no memory. At least, that was what everyone on the island thought. He sighed as he crossed his arms, letting his gaze drift down to the water of the lagoon. His eyes narrowed as a dark shadow passed beneath the surface.

'Comin' in or goin' for a swim?' a voice asked from behind him.

Sam turned and smiled at the older man that had become like a father to him. 'I'll be in in a few, Bobby,' he replied.

Bobby nodded and turned back. 'Better make it quick,' he said over his shoulder. 'Storm's comin' in. Don't need you havin' any accidents.'

Sam nodded as he turned his attention back to the water. It had been years since he'd been in the ocean. Years since he'd last seen—

A fin of alternating darker and light violet skimmed the surface of the water just in front of him. 'No way…' Sam looked around, making certain no one was around before kneeling down on the edge of the wooden pier. He sent out a series of soft, dolphin-like clicks, and a grinning face poked out of the water.

Sam couldn't believe his eyes. Right before him was his older brother. He backed away as the other surged up, propping his torso onto the pier. A long, green fish-like tail with violet fins trailed behind him, vanishing into the water.

'Fuck,' Sam muttered. 'How the hell did you find me, you idiot?' He asked a more polite version of his question with quiet clicks and whines.

'I'm not an idiot!' the apparent merman said defensively.

'You speak English?!' Sam said in shock. '_How_?'

The merman nodded, clearly proud of himself. 'TV,' he replied. 'Have you ever seen _Doctor Sexy_?'

Sam shook his head, bewildered. 'Why are you here,' he asked.

'Not allowed to check on my baby brother?' the merman asked. His eyes ran over Sam's body, and he pulled a disgusted face at Sam's legs. 'You look awful.'

Sam squeaked out his brother's name in an irritated tone.

'Dean!'

'What?'

'My human name! Dean,' he declared. He pushed off the pier and dipped below the surface, reappearing to Sam's right. 'I like it! What's yours?'

'Sam… Sam Winchester.'

Dean blinked up at Sam. 'You have two names?'

'First and last name… I was named after the uh…Winchester Mystery House,' Sam replied. 'I chose "Sam" for myself. I guess…you would be "Winchester," too.'

'Dean Winchester…' Dean floated back a few feet as he stared up at the darkening sky. 'Okay. I'll take it.'

Sam sat on the edge of the pier as he watched his brother. Dean ducked under again, his tail following his path. Sam winced when he caught sight of the scars. He forced a smiled as Dean resurfaced.

'So…were you ever planning on coming back?' Dean asked.

Sam shook his head. 'I…I'm happy here. I'm used to it.'

'Show me around the island?'

Sam stood and backed away. 'I haven't been in the water since I left.'

'But… It's gone,' Dean said. 'We killed it, remember? There's nothing to be afraid of.'

'It's not that,' Sam said.

'She wouldn't want you to mourn her forever,' Dean said.

'I know… I'm moving on. I've…dated. Mostly tourists. No one worth…splaying for,' Sam said, imitating fins by spreading his hands at his sides. He shook his head, sending a lock of hair into his face. He pushed it back and frowned as his eyes fell onto Dean's shorter hair. 'You cut your hair.'

Dean smiled brightly. 'Yeah! You like it?'

Sam nodded. 'It's a good look on you,' he said. His brother was certainly handsome, but as far as merfolk were concerned, Dean's colors weren't up to snuff.

'So…what's it like?' Dean asked. He reached out and tapped on Sam's shoes. 'Does it hurt?'

Sam moved his foot away, laughing softly. 'It itches during the change. But clothes? They're all right. If you want…you can come to live with me. See for yourself?' he offered. He held his breath as Dean stared at the wood of pier. With his brother right in front of him, he wanted more than anything for him to stay.

Dean eventually looked up at Sam. 'I don't know,' he said quietly. 'It's not like I really have anything to go back to.'

'What about—'

'Pretty blue fins?' Dean shook his head, looking away. 'We had our fun, but she found someone else. White tail…bright orange fins.' He shrugged. 'They look good together. The have a cute kid. Light orange and blue spots.'

'I'm sorry…' Sam sighed as kneeled down. He ran his hand over Dean's forearm.

'It's fine,' Dean said easily. 'I'm just not mate material.'

'You're an amazing hunter,' Sam pointed out. 'A strong swimmer… Anyone would be lucky to have you as a mate.'

Dean smiled bitterly as he lifted the end of his tail out of the water and spread his fin. 'Too bad I'm the wrong color, huh?'

Sam shrugged as he looked at Dean's tail fin. Dean just didn't have the same contrast as most of their kind. Sam had been blessed with a pale yellow tail with deep blue-violet markings. Sam had found that humans had it a lot easier. They got to _choose_ how they presented themselves. Scars were potentially revered as great adventures and marks of bravery. For Dean, his scars were a flaw that marred his already bland tail.

Thunder echoed in the distance, and the pair looked to approaching clouds.

'You should find some shelter,' Dean suggested. 'Or hop in.' He looked up at Sam with a small smile.

'I'll head inside,' Sam quietly replied. 'You could come with me. I mean it. You might actually like it.'

Dean pushed away from the pier. 'Nah, I'm good. I found a nice little cave that way,' he said as he pointed north. 'Got some great views of humans. They're so…weird looking.' He eyes drifted to Sam's legs. 'Those, uh…toes are freaky.'

Sam frowned as his mind supplied a small bit of information Bobby had told him the other day. 'Oh, my God… _You're_ the sea serpent?!'

'Sea what?'

'Why didn't I…argh!' Sam pulled at his hair as he paced back and forth.

'What? What's wrong?' Dean bobbed along, mirroring Sam's path.

'You have to find somewhere else to stay!' Sam said, hoping Dean would catch the urgency in his voice. 'Here, come up to the house. We'll get you dried off and let everything blow over.'

'I'm not going on land!' Dean said in disgust.

'Then you have to _leave_!'

'No! Not without you!'

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. If Dean had learned English from television, then just what concepts did he understand? Dean had learned English from television… 'Who gave you a TV to watch?' he asked.

Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam. 'My friend has it on his boat,' he carefully replied.

'You're friend. Great. Your _friend_ is probably the reason they're coming!' Sam said, throwing his arms in the air. 'He probably told them all about you, thinking he's gonna get rich!'

'Who? _Who's_ coming?'

'There's a…TV show coming. They're coming here to find a sea serpent that's been sighted in the area,' Sam explained. 'They're coming here, looking for _you_!'

'I get to be on TV?' Dean said, smiling.

'No, that's _bad_!' Sam glanced up as a bright flash filled the sky. He didn't have long to convince Dean. 'Humans are greedy. They murder their own kind. If they're willing to kill each other for a…a few bucks, then what do you think they'll do to _you_?'

'Benny's not like that,' Dean said softly.

'Benny…Benny _Lafitte_?' Sam let out a shocked laugh. 'Oh, my God…'

'Dean,' Dean said when Sam began to click out his name.

'Fine. Dean. You can't trust that…that pirate,' Sam said. 'He's been to prison.' Dean stared at him in confusion. 'That's where humans send people that do bad things.'

'Oh! The big house! Yeah, he told,' Dean said, smiling reassuringly. 'He was in a…gang. Robbed a bank. He's a good person now.'

'No, he's not!' Sam argued. 'About four months ago, his business partner supposedly drowned. They never found the body. Everyone knows he _killed_ him to keep the business for himself!'

Dean pulled himself up onto the pier. After a small struggle, he managed to get into a sitting position with his tail trailing back into the water. He stretched out his primary and secondary fins, showing off new tears. 'This,' he said, 'would have been a lot worse if Benny hadn't killed that jerk.'

'What?' Sam felt a numbness overtake him.

'Benny saved my life. I was stealin' fish from their net when it pulled up, and I got caught. That guy was aimin' to kill me right there on that deck. Benny shot him,' Dean said quietly, running his fingers along the edges of the tears. 'Took him a little while to untangle me, but the moment he did, he pushed me back in the water.'

'I don't… Why would he do that?' Sam asked.

Dean shrugged as he flicked his tail back and forth. 'I showed up a few times, and he never made any attempt to catch me. Just started calling me "Dean." He'd talk to me, play the radio. Then he gave me his little TV,' he said with fondness. 'He was trying to distract me so he could fish without me getting in the way. Apparently, I scare the fish.'

Sam let out a relieved laugh as he sat next to Dean. 'That doesn't change the fact that there are people coming that want to find you.'

'Then I'll make myself scarce,' Dean said, dropping back into the water. 'Which is what you should do if you don't wanna get wet.'

Sam stared at the rippling water beneath his feet. A bathtub just didn't have the same feel as the ocean. He had snuck into a pool once, but the chlorine had left him itching for weeks after. He knew that if he jumped in, he would probably leave everything he had behind. He was happy with his current life. Sharks didn't stalk people on land.

His eyes focused on Dean's concerned face when he felt a soft tapping on his shoe.

'Sam… You need to hurry… I'll be fine,' Dean promised. 'I'll be careful.'

Sam nodded as he got to his feet. 'Stay out of the lagoon. Especially during the day.'

Dean winked as he swam backward. 'Hey, one good thing about my colors,' he said, 'I don't stand out like you would.'

Sam turned away after Dean disappeared into the water. He wondered if he should warn Bobby. Maybe the older man would turn the television crew away from their small hotel. He sighed to himself. He couldn't ask that of Bobby and Karen. They had given him so much and asked for nothing in return. They had kept his secret when they didn't have to, and even asked him if he was comfortable with the crew staying at the hotel.

Besides, Karen was looking forward to the publicity it would bring them. That, and she happened to have a crush on the host of the show.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks, Balthazar and Castiel, for throwing your backstory out the window and making it even worse.

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Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Gabriel stared at the front of the hotel. It looked like a house that had been converted into a bed and breakfast. He looked back down at the piece of paper he held in his hand. It was the right address. The name was right, too. Singer Hotel.

'Is something wrong?' Castiel asked, setting his luggage and cat carrier next to Gabriel. He looked back at the small boat that was being unloaded by the rest of the small TV crew. His eyes met Balthazar's and he quickly looked away. Balthazar was being civil, very cold and standoffish.

'This can't be right,' Gabriel said, looking up and down the road.

Castiel took the paper from Gabriel's hand and examined it. 'They're giving us a great deal,' he said before handing the sheet back and picking up his luggage and cat carrier. He headed to the door and looked over his shoulder when he didn't hear Gabriel following. 'Aren't you coming?'

'But it's…ugh.' Gabriel made a face and turned to look out over the lagoon. Across the way, he could make out the bungalows of the higher end resorts. He stared longingly as the crew slowly sifted past him. He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder and looked up to see Balthazar's grinning face.

'C'mon, Gabe. It's not that bad,' Balthazar said.

'We have three rooms between us,' Gabriel said. 'Anna and Charlie will shack up, so who do you think is gonna stay with Cas and demon-cat?'

Balthazar pulled his hand back as if burned. 'Not it.'

'Yeah, I know,' Gabriel said bitterly. 'Samandriel's allergic, you're…doin' a good job getting on with him, so that just leaves me.' He sighed as he trudged toward the door. 'Did he ever apologize?'

Balthazar snorted as he followed Gabriel. 'No. He wouldn't mean it anyway. I can tell he's not sorry. Scotland was one big reminder of why I left him.'

Gabriel stopped just short of the door and turned back to Balthazar. 'Uh… What does Scotland have to do with him ditching you?' he asked in confusion.

'Castiel. Crowley. Alone in the Caribbean. Shit ton of booze. Footage that should be uploaded to a porn site. Ring any bells?' Balthazar said flatly.

Gabriel's eyes widened in shock. 'He… Cas and…_Crowley_?'

Balthazar nodded slowly. 'That's why I dropped his ass. Not for running off on research projects. _That_ I understood,' he explained.

Gabriel looked around and pulled Balthazar aside by the elbow. 'Wait, wait, wait… He _cheated_ on you?!' A disbelieving laugh escaped his lips at Balthazar's nod. 'With Crowley. Crowley-Crowley? Shark expert Crowley?'

Balthazar rolled his eyes and nodded. 'Yes. _That_ Crowley.'

'But he… They don't really like each other,' Gabriel said. 'I mean…they've done things together. Seals and sharks, but…_sex_?' He pulled a disgusted face. 'There's no way! Even if they _were_ into each other, Cas wouldn't make a sex tape! He's…Cas. He thinks sex with the lights on is adventurous.'

Balthazar patted the bag hanging over his shoulder. 'I have video to prove it,' he said.

Gabriel stared, slack-jawed, at his cameraman and film editor. 'You have a sex tape of my brother,' he said tonelessly. 'You have a _sex tape_ of my _brother_ in your bag. I-I can't let you keep it! Oh, my God…do you _watch_ it?!'

'Only when I feel like trying to get back together,' Balthazar admitted. 'Been a while, though.'

Gabriel stuck out his hand. 'Hand it over,' he said. He dropped his suitcase and reached for Balthazar's bag when the other made no move to retrieve the sex tape. 'Give it here, or you're fired!'

Balthazar dodged Gabriel's hands and quickly reached into his bag. After scrounging around for a moment, he pulled out a nondescript CD case. 'Here. Take it! Go watch it and see just how innocent your baby brother is. Never knew he was that kinky.'

Gabriel snatched the case away and clutched it to his chest. 'I'm not going to _watch_ it! Jesus, _you_ shouldn't have watched it, either! What is _wrong_ with you?!'

'Hey, it's not _my_ fault they recorded their little tryst in the middle of their documentary,' Balthazar said defensively. 'They're lucky _I_ got to it first. I could have uploaded that in an instant. Some of the guys I work with woulda been more than happy to upload that. Uriel especially.'

Gabriel fumbled with the CD case as he picked up his suitcase. What was he supposed to do? Should he give the disc to Castiel? Should he even _tell_ his brother about it? He couldn't just drop it in the trash. He would have to find a hammer and smash it into tiny pieces then throw it on a fire. 'And this is the _only_ copy?'

'Yeah. Just that one,' Balthazar said. 'Destroyed the original film. Don't know if I wanted to blackmail him or what when I made the copy. Just…couldn't be with him after that.'

Gabriel swallowed and nodded to himself. 'Okay… I… Fuck. Can you not say anything to him? A-at least until _after_ we're done with the show?'

'Gabriel? Gabe?'

The two men looked over as Castiel's voice drifted closer.

'Won't say a word,' Balthazar said quietly as he walked past Gabriel. He brushed against Castiel and couldn't help taking a deep breath, catching a whiff of the lingering scent of Castiel's soap. Four years, and he still used the same soap.

Castiel flinched away as Balthazar stalked by. He rubbed his shoulder where they had touched. 'Um…They need you to sign for the rooms,' he said. His eyes fell on the CD case Gabriel held. 'Is everything all right?'

Gabriel flattened his hand, pressing the case against his chest. 'Yeah, just peachy! Sorting out roomies.'

'He's still mad at me,' Castiel said, barely above a whisper. 'I shouldn't have come. I can leave in the morning.'

'What? No! If I have to choose between a cameraman and my brother, I'm going with my brother,' Gabriel said.

Castiel shook his head. 'He was on this project first. It wouldn't be right.'

'Cas, I need you here! I need you on the show,' Gabriel pleaded. He came closer to Castiel and smiled uncertainly. 'He just points the camera at you, splices stuff together…no talking. You guys don't need to interact.'

'I can find somewhere else to stay,' Castiel suggested. 'I think Crowley knows someone at the Four Seasons. I could get a room over there, and you could just call whenever you need me.'

Gabriel stiffened at Crowley's name. 'You're…on good terms with Crowley?' he asked, not sure if he'd like the answer.

Castiel shrugged. 'We find each other useful,' he replied.

Gabriel pulled a sickened frown. He didn't think he'd be able to sleep that night. Not with visions of his brother and Crowley running through his head. He'd only seen the shark expert in two suits. Business suit and wetsuit. The man looked more like a lawyer than a scientist. He couldn't help but wonder what his brother and Crowley could possibly get up to. He could feel the case's weight getting heavier in his hand. 'Useful's…nice,' he weakly replied.

Gabriel followed Castiel inside the small hotel, stuffing the CD case into the front of his luggage. The interior was decorated like a tiki bar from the 50s. A tiki head with a toothy grimace glared at the pair from behind the lobby desk.

'Please tell me the rooms don't look like this,' Gabriel whispered.

'I've stayed in worse,' Castiel said as he made his way to the cat carrier. He knelt down and poked his fingers through the cage door and barely winced as sharp claws dug into him.

Gabriel sighed and walked up to the desk. He gave the woman behind the desk a winning smile. 'Hi! I'm Gabriel. I guess I need to sign something?'

The woman's smile widened and she pushed a black and white photo forward. 'Right here. And if you could make it out to Karen?'

Gabriel blinked at the picture of himself standing next to a plaster dinosaur. 'Oh. Oh! Right! Sorry!' He laughed as he signed his autograph with a flourish. 'Wow! That is…that's an old one,' he said fondly.

'First show you were on,' Karen confirmed. She pulled out a small stack of papers and set them in front of Gabriel. 'I also need you to sign these…'

After the last page was signed, Karen handed over several sets of keys and pointed to the right. 'Just head on down that hall and up the stairs. Your rooms are the first three on the right. Dinner will be served at seven in the dining room, which is through that door,' she said, pointing to the door on the left. 'Don't be afraid to ask for anything.'

Gabriel took the keys and smiled. 'Sure thing. Thanks, Karen,' he said with a wink. He turned and headed toward the hallway. He made it about halfway when a door opened and someone rushed out into the hall, running into him.

Gabriel was knocked off balance, dropping his suitcase and the keys to the floor. He was surprised when strong hands latched onto him, keeping him upright. He looked up when a concerned voice asked if he was all right. And he kept looking up. 'Someone should put up a handsome moose crossing sign,' he mumbled.

Sam smiled as he let go of Gabriel. 'No, I just need to look where I'm going,' he said. His eyes traveled over the shorter man and continued down the line of people in the hall. His eyes rested on a very shocked looking redhead. He opened his mouth and quickly shut it, keeping himself from speaking his native tongue. He tried again, forcing a friendly smile. 'I-I'm sorry… You look very familiar…'

'C-Charlie,' the redhead stuttered. 'Charlie Bradbury. Uh…I don't…remember _your_ name.'

'Sam Winchester,' Sam replied. First his brother, now his childhood friend. Was the entire colony just waiting to appear at his doorstep? 'Wait…you're with…this?' he asked, gesturing to Gabriel and the rest of the crew.

Charlie shrugged helplessly. 'It's a living.'

'You two know each other?' Gabriel asked, looking between Sam and Charlie. When he looked back at Sam, he gave the taller man a wary gaze. 'You're not a crazy tree hugger, are you?'

'_Conservationist_!' Charlie said sharply. 'Gilda has never firebombed or sabotaged anything, so quit accusing her!'

'Remind me why she's not here?' Gabriel said sweetly.

Charlie huffed and tightened her grip on her bag as she pushed past everyone in the hall and stomped up the stairs. She poked her head back around the corner and smiled at Sam. 'We'll catch up later, okay?'

Sam nodded before turning back to the rest of the group. He knew there were plenty of merfolk that left their colony, but he had always assumed they had simply moved to a different one. Seeing Charlie made him wonder just how many of them were on land masquerading as human. As the rest of the crew made their way down the hall, Sam's eyes followed Gabriel, his eyes slowly drifting down. He finally understood Karen's crush. Seeing the man in person definitely swayed his interest. He gave Karen a smile as he entered the lobby.

Karen held up the signed photograph, grinning ear-to-ear. 'I'm getting this framed!'

Sam laughed and shook his head. 'You're hopeless.'

Karen smirked as she set the photograph down. 'You, too. If you stared any harder, you would have burned a hole through his pants,' she said.

Sam blushed and hurried out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Wow, you guys! Thank you for the positive responses!

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Gabriel looked out the window of the room he would be sharing with Castiel for the time being. He stared longingly at the bungalows across the lagoon—mere blobs in the distance, but he knew what they were. How they sat on wooden stilts in the middle of the water. He desperately wanted that luxury to be his own. Sighing, he let his gaze fall down to the dirt path that led to the front of the small hotel.

'Well, at least the view's good,' he said, cocking his head to the side. He held his hand out to where he assumed Castiel was. 'Gimme the binoculars.'

Castiel looked up from unlatching the front of the cat carrier. He reached into his brother's bag and pulled out the small set of binoculars. He approached the window and followed Gabriel's gaze. Sam was bent over, tying his shoe. He handed the binoculars over without question.

Gabriel giggled as he focused on Sam. 'Would you look at those legs?' he muttered. 'No, no, don't stand up! Yes! Turn around! Fuck, look at that chest… Do you think he swims? Can I get him to go swimming with me?'

Castiel scoffed as he left the window. 'And how will that work out? Are you going to wear those little blow-up arm things?'

Gabriel ignored Castiel in favor of watching Sam. He could swim just fine. Fine enough. He could go up and down with scuba gear, and that's what mattered. 'Hey! No! Come back!' He whined as something caught Sam's attention, making the tall man rush toward the old pier.

He dropped his hand to his side, grunting in disappointment. He looked over at Castiel, who was pulling a large, fluffy, orange tabby from the cat carrier. He grimaced at the cat. 'How's Muffin doing?'

Castiel held the cat in his arms and smiled. 'He'll be fine when the sedatives wear off.'

'Great,' Gabriel said in a forced tone. He still had scratches running the length of his arms from when he had to force the cat into the carrier at Castiel's apartment. He had even taken precautions and wore a heavy coat and gloves for protection. 'He's not gonna murder me in my sleep, is he?'

Castiel threw his brother a half-hearted glare. 'As long as you leave him alone, he won't bother you,' he said as he set the cat on one of the beds. He pulled out a muffin tin from his luggage and placed it on the bed next to the cat. He was grateful that Gabriel remembered to pack Muffin's tin.

A soft knock drew the brothers' attention to the door. 'It's open,' Gabriel said as he set the binoculars on the windowsill.

The door opened a crack and Samandriel's smiling face appeared, his blond hair poking out from under a red and white Wienie Hut cap. 'Just wanted to let you know that I'm about to start setting up interview times,' he said. 'Anna's heading out to scout some nearby locations. Uh…when did you wanna shoot the underwater scenes?'

Gabriel scratched at his head and looked to Castiel. 'Doesn't matter to me. They're your scenes, Cas. When and where?'

Castiel shot Gabriel a glare. 'I didn't agree to that,' he said. 'I agreed to shooting down your theories. I even agreed to…to doing it _drunk_. I'm not having any…scenes.'

Gabriel grinned easily and slapped Castiel on the back. 'It's nothing big. You're just…directing. You're gonna point at what Balthazar needs to shoot. That's it. No camera time.'

Castiel narrowed his eyes at Gabriel. He didn't think it was a good idea. If that was all that Gabriel needed, then he could easily shoot the footage himself. He could set up a time and leave early to do it himself. He turned his attention back to Samandriel. 'Any time after noon and before…five,' he said. Just let me know a day ahead of when you plan to schedule.

Samandriel nodded happily and disappeared.

'I know what you're planning,' Gabriel said.

'Then you won't be surprised or worried when you can't find me,' Castiel replied.

.-.-.-.-.

Sam looked up from tying his shoe when he heard a soft splash of water. He was about to brush it off as paranoia when he caught sight of a flash of violet cresting the water. He glanced around quickly to make certain he was alone before hurrying to the pier. He reached the edge and knelt down. 'Dammit, Dean!' he whispered harshly. 'Why are you here?!'

Dean floated out from under the pier. 'I got bored. Besides, there's more people here to look at.'

'Do you have _any_ idea what you're risking?! What if they see you? Th-that film crew is _here_! The one I told you about? They. Are. _Here_!' Sam hissed, pointing back at the hotel.

'Geez, Sammy… It's not like I'm gonna be seen or anything,' Dean said, swimming a slow circle around the pier. He turned over and glanced at the edge of the cove where Sam had come from. A dock with two small boats tied to it sat on the water. 'I'm gonna guess the bigger one's theirs.'

Sam followed Dean's gaze. 'Yeah… I don't know when they're planning on filming,' Sam said. 'They've booked their rooms until the end of next month.'

'Then I'll steer clear of their boat,' Dean said. 'Sound good?'

Sam sighed as he sat on the edge of the pier. Without physically dragging his brother away, there would be no way to guarantee Dean's safety. 'I guess,' he reluctantly mumbled. 'Oh! Get this, _Charlie_, uh…' He squeaked out Charlie's given name. 'She's with that film crew.'

Dean smiled incredulously up at Sam. 'No way! I thought she just moved to the southern…uh… What word do I use?'

'I figured "colony" was as good as any,' Sam replied. 'Or tribe? I dunno…'

'So she's all…dried out?' Dean asked. 'Do the rest of them know?'

'I…don't think so,' Sam said slowly. 'She seemed pretty shocked to see me, and she didn't even hint at what we are.'

Dean nodded to himself, thinking. 'Hey! Do you think she'll wanna go for swim? I mean, since you don't want to… It's kinda lonely in here.'

Sam shrugged as he shook his head. 'I'll ask her…if I can get her alone.'

Laughter drew their attention, and Dean quickly ducked under the pier.

Sam recognized the blond man and the other redhead as being on the film crew. He watched and listened carefully as they came closer.

'C'mon, Anna. It's not that bad!' Balthazar said. He checked the battery life on his handheld video camera as he followed Anna along the dirt path.

'Yes, it is! Could you _be_ any more pathetic?' Anna said with a laugh. 'Look, it's none of my business, but if you wanna go crawling back to that asshole, go for it. No one's stopping you. Definitely not him.'

Balthazar pulled up short when he looked up from his camera and his eyes fell on Sam. 'Hello, Charlie's friend,' he greeted.

'Sam.'

'Sam. Right… I'm Balthazar, and this is Anna,' Balthazar said, gesturing to himself and Anna. 'You're staying at the hotel, too?'

Sam got up, surreptitiously checking to make sure Dean wasn't visible. 'Actually, I live there. I work for the Singers,' he replied.

'Well, that's good news,' Anna said. She raised her own camera—a beat-up looking thing with small, plastic film canisters taped to the strap. 'Do you think you could point us in the direction of some good views?'

Sam slowly walked towards land, hyper-aware of the soft splashes beneath him. 'I guess… Uh… Is there anything in particular you're looking for?'

'Tropical island paradise,' Anna replied. 'The more tropical, the better.'

'We need stuff that looks like you would actually find a sea monster here,' Balthazar explained. 'Good example: Loch Ness Monster equals lots of castles.'

'So…waterfalls, dangerous outcroppings of rocks in the middle of the ocean…' Anna looked around for an idea. 'Oh! A shipwreck! Are there any old shipwrecks nearby?'

'Yeah! That's a fantastic idea!' Balthazar said with a big grin. 'Mysterious wreckage at the bottom of the ocean. What sank this ship? Rumor has it, it was a sea dragon.'

'Serpent,' Anna corrected. 'We're calling it a sea serpent.'

'Dragon sounds cooler,' Balthazar said petulantly.

'Cas refuses to say "dragon," so we're stuck with it.'

Balthazar laughed, shaking his head. 'If he thinks "dragon" is bad, wait 'til we do the unicorn episode!'

Anna gave Balthazar a sidelong glance and a smirk. 'He doesn't know yet,' she said. 'He didn't read his contract all the way through. Gabe made sure of that.'

'Oh… Can I tell him? Please tell me I can break it to him,' Balthazar begged.

'Gabe's telling him tonight.'

Sam shifted awkwardly from foot to foot as the pair went into hysterics. 'I guess I can mark out some places on a map for you,' he said. The entire thing made him uncomfortable, but if he knew where the crew was going to be, then he'd be better prepared to keep Dean hidden.

'Oh! Sorry! Right, uh…' Anna wiped at her eyes, still giggling. 'Yeah, that sounds great. Just hand it over to Samandriel when it's ready.'

'She meant add a "please" and "thank you",' Balthazar said as Anna walked of, heading down the coastline.

Sam watched as the pair walked along, occasionally stopping to take a photograph or laugh. He really needed to speak with Charlie and make sure that she would help keep everyone away from Dean. But first, he needed to make that map.

'I'll be back later,' he said quietly. 'Don't do anything stupid!' He flinched as a few drops of water hit his back. He turned around and glared sharply at his brother, who was floating just next to the pier.

Dean slowly sank back down, spitting out the rest of the water. 'Not like you woulda changed… Not with a couple drops.'

'And you knew this for a fact?' Sam said snippily.

Dean silently shook his head and looked away. 'I just remember Mom telling me…'

Sam sighed, unable to stay mad at Dean. 'It's fine. Just… Please. Please, don't get caught.'

Dean vanished under the water, and Sam watched as the dark shadow of his brother faded into the distance. For Sam, it was too much too fast. Dean, Charlie, and the film crew. He could have probably handled two of the three. With a heavy sigh, he headed back to the hotel, intent on making his map.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Muffin likes fish…

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Charlie had somehow managed to escape the Novak room with her sanity and her life intact. She had been helping Castiel to set up his new laptop and get connected to the Wi-Fi. Castiel wasn't the problem. He was the perfect, silent observer. He didn't micromanage, ask stupid questions, or try to take over halfway through. Gabriel, on the other hand…

She had seen Gabriel naked before—camping in the woods in the same tent, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bigfoot, almost guaranteed it. But she didn't need to see him squeeze into a pair of obscenely short, denim, cut-offs. And he would not stop griping about the heat.

And then there was the cat. Charlie shuddered as she rounded the corner and descended the stairs. She knew well enough to not go anywhere near Muffin. The cat absolutely adored Castiel. It was very misleading to see him sitting in Castiel's lap, belly up and purring loudly. If anyone else tried to pet him, he would hiss and swipe. She had seen it firsthand. Seen the bloody trails that Muffin left behind. So she was thoroughly disturbed when Muffin sniffed at her, deemed her worthy, and sat next to her.

When Charlie reached the lobby, she was a little surprised to see Sam sitting behind the front desk, bent over a map and making marks with a Sharpie. She smiled awkwardly as she approached him. She cleared her throat and Sam looked up. 'Hey,' she said, waving her hand.

'Uh…hi,' Sam replied. He looked around and saw no one else in the lobby. Just him, Charlie, and the tiki heads. 'So…you've been dry the whole time?'

Charlie stared blankly for a moment. 'Oh! No, uh… I still…swim on occasion. My girlfriend, Gilda…she has a cabin by a lake.'

'Gilda?'

'She's human,' Charlie replied. 'It's okay! She would never tell anyone. She's a wildlife conservationist and uh…activist.'

Sam nodded in understanding. 'Karen and Bobby know… They almost turned you guys down because of me,' he said quietly.

'How'd you meet them?' Charlie asked as she leaned on the tall desk.

'I dried out on the beach…got picked up by the authorities…and uh…met them at the hospital where I was getting checked out. Bobby was there for a sprained ankle. They had extra room, so they took me in,' Sam replied. 'It was only supposed to be until I uh…"remembered" who I was.'

'But you stuck around,' Charlie said with a smile. 'I met Gilda when she was chained to buoy.' She quickly backpedaled at Sam's alarmed expression. 'No, wait! She was doing it on purpose! I mean…it was a protest? She was protesting overfishing. A storm blew in, and she almost drowned, but I saved her. Oh, you shoulda seen her, Sam… She was so gorgeous on that beach. Her hair spread around her...her lips… I kissed her and she woke up.'

Charlie tucked her hair behind her ear, and she giggled. 'I freaked out and tried to get back into the water, but uh…I was kinda staring at her for a while. Long enough for it to be low tide and…dry. I didn't even notice.'

Sam laughed, trying to imagine Charlie attempting to escape discovery. From his own experience, learning to walk wasn't the easiest thing. He was lucky in that no one had seen his first steps. 'So what happened?' he asked after he caught his breath.

'She went a _little_ nuts on me,' Charlie replied, pinching her fingers together. 'Eventually made it back to the water. Well, enough to get wet. And I…broke her.'

'Yeah,' Sam said with a nod. 'Same thing happened with Bobby. After the first year of being here…I got caught in the rain.'

Charlie winced. 'There's an app that warns you within fifteen minutes,' she said. 'People think I'm crazy with all my rain gear… So, uh…how did he take it? What did he say?'

'That explains a lot,' a gruff voice said from behind Charlie.

Charlie gasped and spun around, pressing herself against the desk. She stared up at the older man with wide eyes. A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, afraid to take her eyes off the man in front of her, and saw Sam's reassuring smile.

'It's okay,' Sam insisted. 'Bobby's safe. Karen, too. They'll keep our secret better than we can.'

Bobby snorted as he walked past Charlie and set an old toolbox on the desk. 'Damn straight. I'm surprised that all of humanity don't know about you lot.'

'Well…I don't know how many of us there are,' Charlie said, forcing herself to relax. 'Leaving home…it's not exactly something we do. Even moving to another community is frowned upon. Unless it's for mating.'

Bobby frowned as Sam nodded in agreement. 'Guess that makes sense. Comin' from a smaller town, everyone thought we were crazy when me and Karen left for Bora Bora.' He stretched his back, pulling a few cracks from it. 'I'll leave you two to get reacquainted,' he said as he headed toward the hallway with the rooms.

'Oh! That reminds me,' Charlie said as she turned her full attention back on Sam. 'He came here with his wife, so…where _is_ your mate?'

Sam stiffened and quickly looked down. 'She's…there was a shark,' he said quietly. 'Wasn't there when it happened.'

'I'm so sorry,' Charlie said, laying a hand on Sam's arm. 'That's why you left, isn't it?'

Sam nodded. He still felt sorrow at the loss, but it was nowhere near as painful as it had been in the beginning.

'Your family doesn't have very good luck with sharks,' Charlie said. She quickly snapped her mouth shut, well aware of just how rude she sounded. 'Sorry.'

'No, you're right. First, my mom…then my mate… My father…he got it in his head that it was the same shark that killed mom, so he went after it,' Sam said, shaking his head. 'Dragged me and Dean along.'

Charlie held up a hand. 'Wait. Dean? Dean who?'

'My older brother.'

Charlie's face lit up. 'Freckles! If I were into the whole mating scene, I'd go for him. But…not exactly my type.' She paused and her face fell, remembering the story Sam was currently telling. 'Freckles is…dead?'

Sam blinked as he stared at Charlie. It was a pretty decent translation of Dean's given name. 'No…he's alive. He actually showed up the other day.'

Charlie sighed in relief. 'Oh, good. We should all meet up later. Continue!'

'Uh…we found the shark,' Sam said with a shrug. 'And it didn't go well. Dad died saving Dean, and Dean…he got bit. His fins are…pretty messed up.'

'Bet he looks awesome,' Charlie muttered. 'I-I mean… That's awful. It's really awful, but I bet his fins look cool.'

Sam let out a choked laugh. 'I… You never fit in. You or Dean. If you had stayed…'

'Then we'd be friends,' Charlie finished. 'Nothing more. I don't swing that way, and Freckles only saw me as a sister.'

The main door opened, and Balthazar and Anna entered the lobby, still conversing.

'Even if there _is_ a second season, there's no guarantee that we'll all be kept on,' Anna said as she stepped through the door. She gave Charlie and Sam an uninterested glance and headed for the hallway.

'Well, _Cas_ is guaranteed,' Balthazar said. He nodded to Charlie and Sam before following after Anna. 'If he stays, I _have_ to go. One night was bad enough with him hanging off me like nothing happened. I don't think I can handle much more.'

'Don't worry. I'll keep you in check. It's not like you're preserving his innocence by not making a move,' Anna said, her voice starting to fade as the pair made their way down the hall. 'You can tell he wants it bad.'

The voices vanished, and Charlie bristled, glaring at the hall. 'Cas is a nice guy,' she muttered. 'He made _one_ mistake, and now they're all high and mighty about it. They're worse than mermaids!'

Sam poked Charlie's arm and grinned. '_You're_ a mermaid,' he pointed out.

Charlie scoffed as she crossed her arms. 'So, what? Just means I know my own kind. And we're shitty people, Sam. Don't deny it.'

Sam sighed as he looked down at the map he had been working on. 'Yeah…'

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel looked up from his laptop as he heard Balthazar's voice in the hall. He couldn't make out what was being said, but by the way it seemed to quiet down just in front of his door…he could guess what the subject was. He sighed as he reached down and scratched Muffin's head. He had to remind himself of a piece of advice his friend, Meg, had given him: Anyone the cat hates, you're not meant to be with. And that was a lot of people. It also included Meg, and she had given him the advice _after_ she had received a set of deep scratches on the back of her hand.

A large bottle was thrust in front of him, and Castiel looked up to give Gabriel a dirty look. 'I'm busy, Gabriel,' he said. 'I will _not_ drink with you.'

Gabriel set the bottle next to the laptop and leaned against the wall next to the small desk that Castiel was in front of. 'I just thought we could share a celebratory drink,' he said cheerfully. 'Because of what we're doing with the show. It's gonna be great. Lots of good exposure. You'll get your own fanbase.'

Castiel sighed as he leaned back in his chair. 'You're trying to butter me up for something. Save us both some time and trouble and just spit it out.'

Gabriel bit his lip and glanced around the room. His eyes landed on the door. It wasn't too far away. The room was small enough. He could probably make it out before Castiel could catch him. If he could make it to where other people were, he'd be safe. He pushed off the wall and nonchalantly placed his hands behind his head. 'The thing is…the producers like you,' he said. 'And I mean _really_ like you.'

'I know,' Castiel ground out bitterly. He watched his brother in suspicion. 'You already told me this.'

Gabriel shrugged and dropped his arms to his sides. 'And that's why…I needed you to sign that waiver.'

Castiel rolled his eyes. 'Yes, I know! I'm not going to sue if I get hurt or die while drunk. We've been over this.'

'Yeah…so… The waiver was included in a contract for you to be on the rest of this season _and_ season two if we get signed on,' Gabriel said in a rush as he darted for the door. He didn't stop as he heard Castiel screech and Muffin hiss. He burst through the door and threw himself down the hallway toward the stairs. He half-fell down the wooden steps and kept running when he reached the bottom. He was almost to safety. Someone was bound to be in the lobby. A few more feet and… He looked over his shoulder, relieved to find that Castiel was nowhere to be seen. His foot caught the edge of a rug and he went flying, taking a vase of flowers with him.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Gabriel has great fashion sense.

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Sam and Charlie jumped back as Gabriel tore into the room. They watched in morbid fascination as he tripped and reached out, knocking a glass vase of flowers off the front desk.

Gabriel stumbled and tried to catch the vase, failing miserably as he hit the ground and the vase shattered.

'Uh…you okay?' Charlie asked. She nudged Gabriel with the toe of her shoe, drawing out a groan. 'He'll live,' she said to Sam, who was leaning over the desk to assess the damage.

Sam began to walk around the desk just as Gabriel was picking himself up. He clipped the corner as he was distracted by the way Gabriel's cut-offs rode up his ass. He clutched the desk, unable to pull his eyes away.

Gabriel kept his legs straight as he bent over to rub his sore knees. His hands hurt, too. And his knees were beginning to feel wet. He blinked as he pulled his hands away from his knees, revealing both to be coated in blood. He sighed in irritation as he made fists, sending a little jolt of pain through his palms. He straightened and looked over to the desk, catching Sam's wide eyes and bright blush. He frowned as his mind failed to supply a reason for Sam's reaction. He held up his hands, revealing his wounds. 'You got a Band-Aid?'

Sam nodded dumbly and disappeared behind the desk, pulling out the first-aid kit.

'Is that Cas's shirt?' Charlie asked.

Gabriel looked down at the grey shirt as he plucked a piece of glass from his hand. 'I dunno,' he admitted. 'Maybe. It _is_ kinda long. Hey! It looks like I'm not wearing pants!' He noticed the broken glass on the floor and stooped to pick up the pieces. He heard a choked sound come from behind him as he gathered up the larger pieces. He looked back and saw Sam rummaging in the first-aid kit and Charlie staring at his ass. 'Something wrong?' he asked as he stood up and dropped the glass on the desk.

'Yeah… Did you get those shorts from the women's section?' Charlie asked.

'Of course not!' Gabriel held out his hands as Sam pulled out a bottle of peroxide. 'I got them from the juniors' section. C'mon, Sam, make with the fizzies.'

Sam uncapped the peroxide and tried to keep his eyes from wandering lower. He soaked a cotton ball and began dabbing at Gabriel's scratches.

Gabriel growled in annoyance as Sam took his time. He was about to cup his hands together and tell Sam to just pour the peroxide in when he looked up to see the light blush on Sam's cheeks and the determined stare. He blinked rapidly as he finally registered just how gentle Sam was being. He glanced at Charlie and nodded his head to the door.

Charlie rolled her eyes and quietly backed away. She silently wished Sam good luck as she made herself scarce. Gabriel was going to owe her a very large favor that she would be certain to collect on. Especially if he actually got anywhere with Sam.

Once Gabriel was sure that Charlie was well out of earshot, he flinched and hissed sharply.

'Sorry!' Sam apologized, dropping the cotton ball onto the desk. He ran his thumb across the side of Gabriel's hand as he pulled out the bottle of alcohol. 'Now…this _will_ sting. I'll try to make it quick, okay?' He glanced up and received a stiff nod from Gabriel.

'O-okay… Um…could you keep doing that? With your thumb, I mean?' Gabriel asked shyly. He bit his lip and offered a shy smile for extra measure. 'It's…comforting.'

Sam smiled and nodded, relaxing a bit as he looked down. He prepped another cotton ball and took Gabriel's hand into his own. He slowly swabbed the small cuts, expecting Gabriel to jerk away every time he touched a cut with the alcohol. But Gabriel remained perfectly still and didn't make a peep. Sam finished and pulled out a box of gauze. He glanced up and swallowed at the intense stare Gabriel was giving him. 'Uh…'

'Would you be really mad if I kissed you?' Gabriel asked.

Sam leaned back and looked to where he thought Charlie was, only to find her missing. 'Uh…I uh… I don't…know,' he said. Sure, he thought the TV host was attractive, but he probably shouldn't push his luck. Not when said TV host happened to work on a show about mythical creatures. He held up the box of gauze. 'We should probably finish patching you up…'

Gabriel sighed and took the box from Sam. 'Yeah. Thanks,' he said with a shrug. He waved off Sam as he turned away, already wrapping up his hands. He looked over his shoulder at Sam. 'Is it 'cuz I'm sorta famous?' he asked. 'If you feel…I dunno…threatened? Don't be. I'm a regular guy. Perfect for dating. No…wait. Are you straight?'

Sam shook his head. His hair fell into his face and he reached up to tuck it back. 'No, I uh…I'm…open to…people?' he replied uncertainly. How could he explain merfolk sexuality without saying anything?

Gabriel finished wrapping his hands and turned back towards Sam. 'Is it… Is it because I believe in unicorns?' he asked anxiously. He hadn't been exactly discreet about his belief on any show he'd ever been on. Normally, he could laugh it off and justify his belief as goats with one horn. It usually threw people off when he was completely honest. Charlie was probably the only person that thought it was possible. Then again, _she_ believed in mermaids.

'Unicorns? What does that have to do with anything? No, it's…,' Sam trailed off. He didn't want to use the 'it's not you, it's me' line. He reminded himself that Charlie worked with Gabriel, and the two seemed to know each other fairly well. He could try dating Gabriel for the short time that the crew would be there, see if it went anywhere. If Gabriel was worth trusting. 'Actually, I guess…I could show you around the island tomorrow,' he said. 'Private tour?'

Gabriel's head shot up. He had been expecting to be shot down. He stepped forward with a big grin and froze when his heel came down on something sharp. 'Are you any good at digging out glass?'

'W-what?!'

'I'd ask Cas, but he's kinda mad at me,' Gabriel replied. He hopped over to the desk and propped his foot up. He gestured along the length of his leg with a proud smile. 'Trust me, Sammy, lots of perks with dating me. Flexibility's only the tip of the iceberg!'

Sam smiled uncertainly as he pulled out a set of tweezers. He couldn't keep his eyes from wandering up Gabriel's leg. He choked on his own spit when he noticed Gabriel twisting to give him a better view.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel rubbed at his legs where Muffin had dug in his claws. He had stood up, momentarily forgetting the cat in his lap. He sighed as he began looking through Gabriel's suitcases, not bothering to put anything back. He needed to find that contract and either tear it to pieces or find a way out. After half an hour of searching, he had found no trace of the contract.

Where would Gabriel have hidden it? Who would he have given it to? Certainly not Samandriel. Charlie would be more on Castiel's side. That left Anna or Balthazar. He decided to try Anna first.

Castiel looked to the clock. There was about half an hour left until dinner would be served. Should he wait? He shook his head as he headed to the door. He should just get it over with.

He knocked on the third door of the hallway and waited. The door opened to reveal Balthazar with a towel loosely wrapped around his hips. 'I…was looking for Anna, actually. But the same question still applies.'

Balthazar raised a brow and cocked his head to the side. 'And what would that be?'

Castiel's eyes drifted downward. Balthazar still looked good. Maybe he should have invited the other man on his research trips instead of leaving messages on voicemail after he had arrived at his destination. 'Did Gabriel give you my revised contract?' he asked as his gaze drifted along Balthazar's stomach and hip bones. He could still remember the feel of Balthazar's skin under his fingers.

Balthazar's hand came into view, and Castiel followed its path up. He held his breath as Balthazar reached out and cupped his cheek. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest, and nimble fingers ghosted over his lips. He opened his mouth slightly and moaned at the taste of Balthazar's skin. A smile tugged at his lips. Maybe being stuck in Bora Bora wouldn't be so bad. Instantly, the fingers were gone, and he focused on Balthazar's face. He recognized the disappointed look. It was the same look he got when they had broken up.

'You haven't changed,' Balthazar said quietly. 'Still thinking with your cock.'

Castiel narrowed his eyes and frowned. 'I don't—'

'I don't know who has your contract. Not me, and not Anna. That's all I know,' Balthazar said, shutting the door.

Castiel stood in front of the door in a daze. What had just happened? What was Balthazar going on about? He trudged back to his room, wondering just what he was going to do. As he entered his room, he glanced at his laptop. He may as well check his work email. Maybe send a message to Inias to see how the project was going.

He sat down at the desk, pulled up the access site, and logged in. After five minutes of staring at the error message, Castiel shakily reached over to the bottle of champagne.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Cas is an angry-flirty drunk.

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Gabriel bounced anxiously in his seat as he waited for the others to arrive for dinner. One by one, the rest of the small television crew showed up. Sam set six glasses of water around the table and gave Gabriel a concerned look.

'You okay?' Sam asked when Gabriel's head shot up at the sound of the door opening.

'Yeah…uh… Everything'll be all right. Eventually,' Gabriel replied. He relaxed when he saw Samandriel enter the dining room, looking over his shoulder in confusion.

'He thinks Cas is gonna murder him in his sleep,' Anna explained.

'He won't when he realizes it's for the best!'

'How is getting him fired "for the best"?' Samandriel asked as he sat down.

'I didn't get him fired,' Gabriel said. 'He's taking time off to be here. He's gonna quit on his own. I know him, and he just needs a push in the right direction. _Away_ from that…toxic environment and crazy woman.'

'Well, I just passed him in the hall, and he uh…went on and on about how it's your fault he got fired… After he flirted with me,' Samandriel said before picking up his glass of water. 'He said he won't be joining us for dinner.'

Gabriel groaned and dropped his head onto the table. 'He's definitely gonna kill me… And hide the body.' He looked up and stared miserably at everyone around the table. 'If I die from a _shark attack_, he did it. I know he can do it. Fuck…maybe this was a mistake…'

Charlie rubbed Gabriel's back and shushed him. 'He'll get over it,' she assured him. 'He just needs to let off some steam.'

Gabriel sighed as he sat back in his chair. 'Anyone wanna switch rooms?' He was met by multiple scoffs and laughter.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel took another swig from the bottle of champagne. He stared out across the lagoon while he leaned against a palm tree. He pushed off the tree and unsteadily made his way to the edge of the old pier. His life was ruined. All his plans were ruined. And it was all thanks to his meddling older brother. He lifted the bottle to his lips again and groaned in frustration when he found it to be empty.

He dropped his arm and swayed uncertainly. There was a soft splashing coming from beneath him, and he looked down. At first, there was nothing, then a flash of color appeared under the surface, followed by a splash behind him. He frowned as he leaned over more. He could just make out something beneath the pier. If he could just get a little closer… He squawked loudly as he lost his balance and fell into the water.

Dean had been hoping to speak to his brother again, but, instead, some other person was on the pier. He didn't think twice when the stranger fell into the water. He darted forward and pulled the human to the surface and helped him back onto the pier. He hurried to the side and clung to edge, making certain to hide his tail and fins. 'Hey, uh…you okay?' he asked.

Castiel nodded as he pulled himself into a kneeling position and coughed. 'Y-Ye—' He broke off into another coughing fit. When he could breathe normally, he took a moment to catch his breath. His head was still swimming in alcohol. He looked over to see a young man staring at him with wide eyes. He blinked slowly as he replayed what had just happened. 'Were you under the pier?'

Dean's heart skipped a beat at the sight of blue eyes. 'Uh…yeah… Um… Was lookin' for my brother?' he managed to reply. He could feel his fins rising around him, and he quickly forced them back down. Yes, the human was attractive, but mate-worthy? There was no tail, no fins, no markings to judge. Just dark hair, blue eyes, forearms littered with tiny scars and a few fresh scratches, nice lips…and the voice that came from those lips…

Castiel got into sitting position and crossed his legs. He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. 'Are you skinny dipping?' he asked suspiciously, his eyes dipping down.

Dean bit his lip. 'Uh… I dunno. What's a skinny dipping?'

'Are you naked,' Castiel reiterated.

'Oh! Of course!' Dean happily replied. He fought against his fins as Castiel smirked at him.

'My name's Castiel.'

'D-Dean…' Dean leaned away as much as he could as Castiel crawled onto his stomach and propped himself onto his elbows.

'So, Dean… Why are you swimming around naked if you're meeting up with your brother? Or is that just an excuse for getting caught?' Castiel looked over Dean's arms and chest, and he really liked what he saw. The small part of his mind that was possibly sober reminded him that he didn't know anything about the man in front of him. Another part reminded him of his college years. Years that he had tried to leave far behind. Not even Gabriel knew what he had gotten up to.

Dean shrugged and tapped his fingers on the wood of the pier. 'Yeah, you caught me… Just out havin' some fun and uh…had to hide when you showed up.'

Castiel nodded. So _that_ was what he saw. 'Well, don't feel like you have to hide anymore,' he said, smiling. 'I'm friendly.'

Dean edged along the pier to a corner, and Castiel followed. 'I can see that...' He glanced down to find his secondary fins completely splayed. He let go of the pier to push them down and dropped into water.

Castiel hurried to edge and peeked over, seeing no sign of Dean. 'Dean?'

'I'm okay!' Dean said as he popped up on the other side. He was blushing brightly, still not completely in control of his fins. He didn't know why, but he couldn't bring himself to swim away and leave the human. No, he knew exactly why. He had found that he liked how humans looked. How different their legs were compared to his fins. And their voices… Especially _this_ human's voice. He just wasn't expecting his body to react as if courting a mate.

Castiel looked over his shoulder and smiled. 'There you are. You should come up here.'

'N-naked. Remember?' Dean's grip on the edge of the pier tightened as Castiel settled in front of him again.

'Believe me, I don't mind. I'm having a shit day…you could make it better,' Castiel said. 'Here, I'll make us more even.' He sat up and struggled to pull his wet shirt over his head.

Dean breathed in sharply as Castiel's head came free from the shirt. Short, dark hair stuck out in every direction. Dean wanted to touch it, to feel it beneath his fingers. He swallowed and didn't move when Castiel leaned in close, inches from his face.

'I could take more off,' Castiel offered.

'You look fine just like that,' Dean breathed. His thoughts came to a grinding halt when chapped lips pressed against his own. He stared as Castiel pulled away, frowning down at him.

'Oh…sorry,' Castiel murmured. 'I thought…'

'Thought what?' Dean asked. He still couldn't gather his thoughts. Not with Castiel's bare chest within reach.

'That you liked me,' Castiel said petulantly. He sighed sat back, staring at the path that had brought him do the pier. 'Sorry to ruin your evening. I'll just…go.'

Dean reached out and placed a hand on Castiel's ankle. 'No, stay. I _do_ like you… It's just…I've never kissed anyone before,' he said.

Castiel shifted his stare to Dean. 'Really. Good looking guy like you?' he said incredulously. 'I find that hard to believe.'

Dean shrugged as he softly rubbed Castiel's ankle. 'Never got that far, I guess,' he said. Well, he had gotten pretty far, but his kind went in a different order. Kissing was for mates. 'But…I'd like to try it out. With you.'

Castiel laughed and placed his hand on top of Dean's. 'Then come on up here.'

Dean almost hefted himself onto the pier, but stopped himself just in time. 'Uh… could you…close your eyes?' he asked. 'I'm a little shy.'

Castiel shook his head but closed his eyes nonetheless. He'd done far stranger.

Dean pulled himself up onto the pier, the end of his tail still in the water. Lightly, he touched Castiel's chest. His fins spread out at the sound of Castiel's deep moan. He guided Castiel next to him, careful to keep his fins from touching the human. He leaned in close and paused just in before touching Castiel's lips with his own. 'Never done this before,' he whispered.

Castiel smiled and pecked Dean's lips. 'It's okay. I've got plenty of experience. I'll show you.' He pressed forward again, blindly aiming for Dean's mouth. He caught the side and kissed his way to the front, nipping and sucking. He gently bit down on Dean's lower lip and tugged on it. He giggled when Dean pushed him down and joined in the kiss.

Dean followed Castiel's lead, matching and imitating movements. Castiel's tongue dipped into his mouth and swirled against his own tongue, and he groaned loudly. He was leaning over Castiel, covering half his body with his own, his fins spread as far as they could go.

Castiel held onto Dean's shoulders tightly and he arched against him. He could feel something cold and clammy brush against leg every now and again, but he ignored it. Dean's enthusiasm was much more interesting.

Dean wanted to feel more of what Castiel had to offer. And he wanted to feel it all over, but fins and scales were nowhere near as sensitive as skin. He was about to pull the rest of his tail from the water when he was forcefully pushed off the pier.

He resurfaced, fully prepared to fight, and found Sam glaring down at him. 'What?!'

'What the hell do you think you're doing?!' Sam shouted.

'Taking my mind off things,' Castiel grumbled. He scratched his head as he sat up, looking around. 'Dean?'

Dean ignored Sam's protests and pulled himself up so that he was once again peeking over the edge at Castiel. 'Right here,' he said with a smile. 'I uh…slipped.'

Castiel smiled back. 'Then come back up here, and we can pick up where we left off.'

'I don't think that's a good idea,' Charlie said as she made her way to Castiel. 'C'mon, Cas. Let's get you inside. Gabriel's worried about you.'

Castiel crossed his arms and glared at Charlie. 'I'm not speaking to that…that assbutt… But I might be willing to speak with you.'

'Gabe said he left you with champagne. Did you drink the whole bottle?' Charlie asked.

'So, what?'

Charlie shook her head as she stooped to collect Castiel's shirt and help him stand. 'Hey, Freckles,' she said to Dean. 'Wish I could stay and chat, but…I have babysitting duties.'

Castiel looked down at Dean. 'I'm staying at the hotel over there,' he said, pointing. 'Room number twenty-one. My door'll be unlocked.'

'His door will be locked,' Charlie said.

'I'll be right here tomorrow night!' Dean said, grinning at Castiel's nod.

She urged Castiel forward and nudged Sam to get his attention. 'Don't be too hard on Dean. I've only seen it once, but Cas comes on _hard_. And he won't remember it in the morning, so there's nothing to worry about.'

Sam nodded at Charlie and watched her take Castiel back up the path to the hotel. He sighed as he turned his attention back to Dean. 'What were you thinking?! _Were_ you even thinking?!'

Dean rolled his eyes and flicked his tail out behind him. His fins were still in a position to show off. 'He fell in, and I helped him out,' he said. 'Then he kissed me.'

'So that gives you permission to…to initiate a mating?!'

'What?! No!' Dean glared up at his brother. 'It's just kissing. I know enough about humans that it doesn't mean the same thing. He wanted it!'

'He's _drunk_! God, Dean… You can't take advantage of people like that.'

'Is that…why you're mad? Because he's drunk?' Dean asked uncertainly. 'I don't…understand. What's drunk?'

Sam sat on the edge of the pier, shaking his head. 'He wasn't in his right mind. You can do what you want with him when he's sober. Er…in his right mind. Look, the fact that you were on top of him with your fins…' He trailed off with a sigh. 'You probably won't understand this, but…he's a marine biologist. He studies fish. If he were to find out about you…us…'

'Hey…I'll be careful.'

'If he even remembers,' Sam pointed out.

'C'mon! How could he forget _me_?' Dean said cockily. He lost his grip as Sam pushed him and fell back into the water, laughing.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Cas goes swimming.

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Castiel awakened slowly. Orange filled his vision. He blinked, and his eyes eventually focused on Muffin staring at him. 'Good morning.'

Muffin purred loudly and bumped his head against Castiel's nose before moving to lick at his hair.

Castiel moved his arm to pet Muffin and received a warning growl. He stopped and sighed as he waited for Muffin to finish grooming him. He was certain there was a scar on the top of his head from the first and only time he had tried to cut his bath time short.

Muffin finished and hopped off the bed to sit in the window, and Castiel pushed himself up onto his elbows. He looked around the room in dismay. It was still a mess from when he had torn everything apart, searching for the contract. He felt a pang of guilt, but refused to clean the room. He looked at the other bed, finding it vacant, and wondered how long Gabriel would be avoiding him.

Surprisingly, he didn't feel as awful as he probably should. He was tricked into signing on for another season. He was just laid off due to 'budgeting constraints.' And yet, he felt pretty good. He sat up and stared at his lap, wondering if Gabriel had somehow slipped him something. He wouldn't put it past his brother.

He took another look around the room, and his eyes feel upon a box nestled in the wastebasket. It was the box that Gabriel's peace offering had originally come in. He frowned as he stared at it. Where was the bottle? Bits and pieces of the previous night drifted back to the front of his mind. He groaned as he buried his face in his hands.

He had called up his coworker, Inias, demanding to know why he couldn't get into his email, and everything went downhill from there. He could remember leaving the hotel, heading down the path to kick at the boat his brother had rented, and then going to the older pier to drown his sorrows. He was pretty sure he fell in at some point. He could remember seeing one of the hotel employees and Charlie. What happened in between?

Did someone pull him out? He remembered being on the pier, soaking wet. Green eyes. He remembered beautiful green eyes and a great smile. And…Dean. Dean was the man's name. He had made out with a hot stranger on the old pier. A hot, naked stranger. While he was completely shitfaced. Right. Of course.

That was insane. Gorgeous men didn't swim around naked in the lagoon, rescuing drunks from drowning. His life didn't work like that.

He sighed and got out of bed. He may be out of a job, but at least he knew a few people that could probably get him a new one. Anything to get out of Gabriel's ridiculous TV show. And he would have to start calling soon, before Gabriel went around telling everyone that he wasn't available.

.-.-.-.-.

Gabriel had a piece of French toast hanging from his mouth as he poured over the map that Sam had marked up. 'This is great! Okay, so you start setting up appointments,' he said as he pointed at Samandriel. 'Anna and Charlie can go get some establishing shots and…oh! Bird calls and nature sounds!' He smiled up at the pair of redheads. 'Really wanna sell the whole mysterious sea dragon in the tropical paradise angle.'

'Sea dragon, huh?' Sam asked as he set down a carafe of orange juice. He glanced at Charlie, who grinned widely and nodded. If she was relaxed about it, then maybe it was okay.

Gabriel smiled up at Sam. 'Yeah! Long, scaly thing that's been sighted around the island for the past few months.'

'But it's so fresh,' Charlie said as she poured herself some orange juice. 'We've got a couple tourists and fishermen as witnesses. Most of the episode is gonna be filler narration. Look at this pretty island. Here's what we think the sea monster looks like. Ooh…' She waved her hands around for emphasis and rolled her eyes.

Gabriel frowned at Charlie and slumped back in his seat. 'She's not a sea monster. She's a sea _dragon_.'

'Serpent. Sea _serpent_,' Castiel said as he entered the room. 'If I'm stuck here, then we're calling it a serpent. I would actually prefer "unclassified species," but I believe that conversation went nowhere last time.'

Gabriel offered his bother an uncertain smile. 'Are you…okay?'

Castiel sat down and ignored Gabriel. 'When will I be scheduled to shoot the underwater scenes?' he asked Samandriel.

'Uh…' Samandriel flipped through his planner. 'Well, we have the boat for the whole time we're here, so…whenever's good for you.'

Castiel nodded as he poured himself a drink. 'Tomorrow afternoon will work well.'

'You sure you don't wanna take a couple days to…relax?' Gabriel asked. He shrank back at the glare Castiel threw him.

'I want this to be over with. I want to go home. I want my old job back. I would rather be in that office, listening to recordings, than be here on some wild goose chase of yours,' Castiel calmly replied.

Gabriel placed his hands in his lap and stared at them. He was trying to _help_ Castiel. He refused to believe that he screwed up his brother's life. He just hoped his brother would eventually see it that way.

.-.-.-.-.

After breakfast, Castiel had made a beeline back to his room. He grabbed his wetsuit and a camera and quietly made his way back to the hotel lobby. He thought he was going to be able to sneak out, but as he got closer to the lobby he could hear voices. He hung back, just behind the corner and listened. He recognized his brother's voice and the tone that went with it.

'C'mon, Sammy,' Gabriel said. 'Personal tour of the island. You, me. Sandy beaches?'

Sam laughed. 'I have _work_ to do!'

'There's no one else here! I'm sure they won't miss you for an hour.'

'Tell you what… Since you're trying to avoid your brother, you can come with me to have dinner at a local restaurant.'

'Deal!'

Castiel closed his eyes and turned the corner. 'I'm taking this,' he raised the camera, 'and these,' he raised his other arm where he had his wetsuit draped and shook the keys to the boat. 'I'll be back later. Don't worry about me.'

Gabriel startled and stared at Castiel. 'C-Cas…what about tomorrow?!'

Castiel paused at the door and glanced between Sam and Gabriel. 'I'm used to reading upside down. I'll borrow the boat again on Thursday.'

With that, Castiel left and hurried to the small boat. A quick glance told him that he was alone. He boarded the boat and set down the camera and his wetsuit. He cringed as he started up the boat, keeping a watchful eye on the path leading back to the hotel as he edged the boat away from the small dock. He sighed in relief when no one had come to investigate.

He pulled away and slowed as he drew up next to the older pier. He could still remember how the weathered wood felt under his hands…beneath his back… He shook his head hard, reminding himself that it was just a drunken fantasy. He really needed to stop drinking so much. He wasn't in college anymore. No more going to class high or hung over. He was an adult. He had responsibilities. He needed his wits about him if he was going to survive this ordeal.

After an hour of circling the island, Castiel cut the boat's engine and dropped the anchor. In the distance, he could make out a small fishing vessel. Quickly, he stripped down and pulled on his wet suit, a simple black with blue running down the sides and along the seams. He pulled up the zipper along his back and sighed happily.

It had been a while since he'd been in the ocean. He hadn't realized just how much he had missed it. Even if Gabriel was right, and he did belong back in the water, he wouldn't admit it to his older brother.

He grabbed the keys and turned to the door that led below. He inserted the key and turned it, frowning when it didn't give the familiar click of unlocking. His stomach clenched, fearing that someone had stolen all of the scuba gear. He knew they should have brought it all inside the hotel. He opened the door, and the sight that greeted him was worse than anything he could have possibly imagined.

'Hello, Castiel,' Balthazar greeted with a warm smile. He held up a scuba tank. 'Looking for this?'

Castiel slammed the door shut and stormed to the other side of the boat, which wasn't very far, much to his disappointment. He tried to steady his breathing as he heard the door open and Balthazar step onto the deck. 'Why are you here?' he asked through clenched teeth.

Balthazar set the tank down and shrugged. 'Well, I _am_ the cameraman. I'm here to do my job.'

'You had to go out of your way to be here,' Castiel pointed out. 'You've been hiding below deck for well over an hour! What do you want?'

'I guess…I kinda wanted to talk to you without you being able to run away.' Balthazar let his eyes roam over Castiel's back and settle on his ex's rear. 'You look good, Cas.'

Castiel spun around, seething. 'I would appreciate it if you did not stare at me without my permission.'

'I believe _you_ were staring at _me_ yesterday,' Balthazar said.

'And you called me _slut_ after you led me on!' Castiel shouted. He brushed past Balthazar and stared at the small room below. Thanks to his and his brother's inability to organize, it was a mess. He squeezed his hand around the keys, wanting to throw them in and force Balthazar to hunt for them. No. That would be immature. And he would be stuck with Balthazar even longer.

'I just said you thought with your cock. But…you kinda are one,' Balthazar replied. 'Now don't get me wrong. That can be hot. But…not when you're pretending to be something you're not.'

'And what am I pretending to be?' Castiel asked as he turned to face Balthazar. His good mood from earlier was quickly fading.

'Innocent.'

Castiel's eyes narrowed as he tilted his head in confusion. 'Innocent? About what?'

'About you and Crowley,' Balthazar replied. 'Look…I _know_ about you two.'

Castiel felt his face heat up. How could Balthazar know? How could _anyone_ know?

Balthazar shook his head at Castiel's reaction. 'Why keep lying about it?' He turned away from Castiel and stared at the clouds that spotted the horizon. 'Cas…'

Castiel threw the keys into the small room. 'I never claimed to be innocent!' he shouted. 'So I've made mistakes! Plenty of them I've made with Crowley!' He crossed his arms and looked away, his eyes resting on the fishing vessel. It wasn't _that_ far away. He glanced over his shoulder at Balthazar, whose back was still facing him. 'We never hurt anyone,' he said quietly as he silently edged to the railing and placed a leg over it. He balanced and griped the railing tightly as he brought his other leg over, keeping an eye on Balthazar. It would take Balthazar a while to find the keys, and there was no way he'd attempt to swim after Castiel. When Balthazar began speaking, he didn't listen as he lowered himself down to drop soundlessly into the water.

'You hurt _me_, Castiel,' Balthazar said. 'You made a…a sex tape with _Crowley_! Inias, I could probably understand, but _Crowley_?! Does his wife even know? How many other times, Castiel? How many other people? I…I know I shouldn't, but…I still love you, Cas. And maybe…maybe we could fix it if you would just_ come clean_!'

Balthazar turned around and stared at the empty spot where Castiel had been. 'Cas? Castiel?' Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. Castiel was already a fair distance away, heading straight to a boat in the distance. 'You didn't hear a word I said…you coward,' he mumbled.

He looked down the short flight of steps to the small room and grimaced. He promised himself that when he got back, the Novak brothers were going to be banned from stocking and organizing _anything_. He knew he should have straightened up while he was hiding. He wished he could hotwire a boat the same way he could pick a lock. He sighed and set himself to the task of finding the boat keys.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I don't speak French. If it's wrong, blame Google Translate.

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Dean swam in lazy circles beneath Benny's boat, surfacing every thirty minutes or so for air. He had been scaring up a variety of fish for Benny, chasing them into the fishing nets. Benny had shown him pictures of the fish he wanted and the ones he didn't. When he had started helping Benny out, Benny had asked what Dean wanted in return.

Dean skimmed along the bottom of the ocean floor, staring up at the underside of Benny's boat. Benny had asked him again what he wanted in return for helping. He already had everything he needed. A cave with a pocket of air, food, company… But what did he _want_? Well, he wouldn't mind having that human he had met earlier, but he didn't think humans could give each other away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small shadow moving towards Benny's boat. He swam a little closer, not recognizing its shape as anything he knew. It took a moment for him to realize it was human. The movements were much more precise than the other humans he had observed swimming.

Dean quickly swam up to the other side of the boat and edged around it to get a closer look. As the human drew closer, it slowed and began shouting. He poked his head out of the water and breathed in sharply when he recognized the human.

'Hello? Excuse me!' Castiel shouted as he tread water. He offered a smile when someone looked over the railing. 'Can I get a lift?'

The man disappeared without a word. A moment later, a rope ladder was thrown over the side. 'Come on up, then.'

Castiel pulled himself up and climbed the ladder. He looked over his shoulder when he reached the top. It looked like Balthazar still hadn't found the keys. 'Thank you,' he said as he climbed over the railing and onto the deck.

'No problem, stranger. Name's Benny.' Benny offered his hand to Castiel.

'Castiel. And again, thank you,' Castiel said as he shook Benny's hand.

'Where ya' headed?' Benny asked as he pulled the ladder back up.

'Anywhere but here,' Castiel replied. He looked back at the small boat. 'I've been stranded before, so…anywhere.'

'Run outta gas?' Benny asked as he followed Castiel's gaze. 'I can just loan you some.'

Castiel shook his head and pushed away from the railing. 'No… It's…it's complicated. I uh…don't deal well with conflict, and there is a lot of conflict looking for a set of keys on that boat.'

Benny laughed and shook his head. 'All right, then. So, where are you staying?'

'For now, Singer Hotel.' Castiel looked down at his bare feet and sighed. 'Somewhere else once I get back.'

'Getting away from conflict?'

Castiel nodded. 'Yesterday was not a good day for me, and this…this was the last straw.'

'Well, I know where the hotel is, so I can drop you on their front porch. How's that sound?' Benny said as he headed to the helm.

'Thank you, but you don't…' Castiel trailed off as he watched Benny. He looked around the boat, seeing all the fishing equipment. 'Can I hire you?'

Benny stopped in his tracks and turned to face Castiel. 'Hire me?'

'I need a boat. A boat that's not…that one,' Castiel replied, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the rental boat in the distance. 'I can pay you.'

'Why?' Benny took a few steps back, leaning against the railing.

'I'm…with a…a film crew,' Castiel said with some difficulty. 'And I'd rather do my share alone.'

A quiet tapping caught Benny's attention, and he glanced down at the water. 'I don't know…' He frowned at Dean's smiling face. Dean was staring up at him, nodding and smiling like an idiot.

'I wouldn't pull you away from your schedule,' Castiel said. 'Just take me along when you go fishing. That's all I'm asking. I'll stay out of your way.'

Benny sighed as Dean's voice drifted up, barely above a whisper.

'Please! Say "yes"! Please?'

'All right,' Benny eventually said. 'But I won't wait around for you.'

'I wouldn't expect you to,' Castiel said.

'Right… Wait. Filming? You're not with that show that's lookin' for the sea monster, are you?'

Castiel grimaced and looked away. 'Yes…'

'You know it doesn't exist, right?'

Castiel didn't answer right away. The photograph, the entire reason he had allowed himself to be wrangled into the trip, came to the forefront of his mind. 'I'm here because of my brother,' he said. 'But, yes. I know there's no…sea…_monster_. Unfortunately, my belief doesn't make me exempt from being in charge of underwater shots.'

'Well, I'm sure there's money in stock footage,' Benny said.

Castiel gave Benny a small smile. 'There's enough,' he admitted. 'Just don't tell my brother that. I want him swimming in the guilt of getting me fired.'

'Doesn't sound like a very good brother,' Benny said as he turned back to the helm.

'He means well… At least, I think he does.'

.-.-.-.-.

Gabriel watched as Castiel packed. 'It's not that bad,' he said, wincing as Castiel slammed a dresser drawer shut.

'Yes, it is! I feel like I'm constantly being watched and judged and…and… I'm just cornered! I need time to be alone and not be…here,' Castiel replied. He shrugged as he turned around. 'You were right. I need time to relax. I need a break.'

'Is it Balthazar?' Gabriel quietly asked. 'I can…make arrangements.'

Castiel shook his head with a sigh. 'No. It's me. It's always…me. Apparently, he found out about…' He trailed off, laughing miserably. 'It was so _long_ ago! I'm a different person now! I don't _do_ things like that anymore, but I guess once a…a _slut_ always a slut.'

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. 'Yeah… Um… So uh…where are you gonna stay?' he asked, eager to change the subject. He wasn't sure what made him more uncomfortable: talk of his brother cheating, or the fact that Castiel didn't feel any guilt.

'Oh, Crowley found me a room at the Four Seasons. He wants me to throw myself a…_proper_ pity party. He went over the top with it, so I think he wants me to end up owing him,' Castiel said. He made his way to the open window and reached out onto the flowerbox that hung beneath. He scratched between Muffin's ears, earning a loud purr.

'What are you gonna…owe him?'

'Apparently, he has me staying in one of the bungalows. Probably… I told him about your show. And…he didn't say anything, but… I think he's going to have me appear in a documentary after this thing's aired,' Castiel said. 'He's under the impression that I'll be more marketable.'

'See? Good things are already coming out of this,' Gabriel said, smiling.

Castiel gave his brother a doubtful look. 'You've never been in a documentary with Crowley. He is an absolute terror. He made three people quit when we were filming in the Caribbean. The cinematographer had to see a therapist after,' he explained. 'Just ask Balthazar. He worked on editing after we got back.'

'Oh…yeah… _That_ time in the Caribbean…'

'Figured sending the editing job to him would help serve as an apology, but… I guess not. He finished the job, took his check, and…left.' Castiel sighed as he stared out the window. 'Nothing I do is ever good enough.'

'Er…a uh…editing position doesn't make up for uh…' Gabriel coughed and looked away.

'Yeah, I get that,' Castiel said bitterly. 'It doesn't matter anymore. I'll stay out of everyone's way. Just… Let me borrow the camera, and I'll drop off the footage as I get it.'

Gabriel nodded wordlessly. He knew his brother could be a little off, but this was beyond what he was used to. 'Just…don't feel like you have to avoid everyone. I _will_ need you in front of the camera eventually.'

'Yeah… I know. Look, shouldn't you be getting ready for your date?'

.-.-.-.-.

That evening, Gabriel stared at Sam from across the table. They sat in a dimly lit corner of a small, local bar. The walls were littered with stuffed fish of every variety. Behind the bar, hung a large sword fish that Gabriel's eyes kept drifting to. Normally, he didn't go to the small, hole-in-wall bars and restaurants. That was more of his brother's speed—whatever was closest to his current location. If he had to choose between a dive bar or an Applebee's, he'd go with the Applebee's.

'You okay?' Sam asked as Gabriel's attention was pulled away by the sound of the front door opening.

'Yeah…I'm good. Just…keeping an eye out,' he replied.

'For…what?'

'Uh…last time I was in a dive bar, it got a little…stabby,' he explained.

'Dive bar?' Sam asked.

'Er…local bar?' Gabriel looked back at Sam and forced a smile. 'It's not an insult. It's just…what they're called? Cas goes to 'em all the time. He didn't even bat an eye when the guy came at him with a knife!'

'What?! Is he okay?' Sam blinked as he remembered who 'Cas' was. 'Never mind. I mean…'

Gabriel laughed and took a sip of his drink. He set the glass back on the thick, wooden table and shook his head. 'Well, he sent the other guy to the hospital. Not as heroic as it sounds,' he said. 'He kicked the guy in the knee and dislocated his kneecap.'

Sam stared at Gabriel, torn between horror and amusement. 'So that happens…often?'

Gabriel shook his head. 'Cas says he's only been in a bar fight about two times, but that's _in_ a fight. He didn't say how many he's _seen_. I uh…still don't wanna take my chances. One time was enough.'

'Oh…I didn't know. We can leave if you want,' Sam offered. 'It wouldn't be any trouble.'

'What? No! I mean, thanks, but… I'm good,' Gabriel replied, quickly shaking his head. 'I'm sure these nice people don't run around, trying to stab each other.'

'Well, I've never seen anyone try to _stab_ another person, but I have seen one fist fight,' Sam said, rubbing the back of his neck. 'One guy might've owed the other money or someone slept with someone's wife or…both? It was close to when I first got here, and I hadn't picked up on the language just yet.'

Gabriel leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He grinned up at Sam. 'French or Tahitian?'

'Both, actually. I pick up on languages pretty easily,' Sam proudly replied. 'Kinda runs in the family.'

'I took French in high school,' Gabriel said, leaning a little closer. 'Didn't stick too well. Just a couple phrases. I know how to ask where to find a bathroom and a train. And, of course, the most useful phrase of them all.'

'And what would that be?'

'Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?' Gabriel propped his cheek in his hand as he stared, grinning, at Sam.

Sam stared back at Gabriel as his mind switched tracks. 'Uh… N'est-ce pas un peu tôt pour ça?'

Gabriel opened his mouth then shut it. He tried again, but still came up empty for a reply. He leaned back, squinting slightly at Sam. He couldn't decide whether he was being teased or hit on, and he couldn't bring himself to really care.

'Vous allez bien?' Sam asked, feeling concern over Gabriel growing confusion. 'Gabriel?'

'I have no idea what you're saying, but, by all means, keep going,' Gabriel finally said. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head as he stared at Sam with wide eyes. 'Because that is hot.'

'Oh… Oh! Sorry!' Sam apologized. He laughed nervously and shrugged. 'I just sorta…switch to whatever's being spoken,' he explained.

'I quote a song, and you turn French? Cool.'

'Song?' Sam repeated helplessly.

'_Lady Marmalade_. 70s. Disco. Great decade, even greater genre,' Gabriel replied.

Sam thinned his lips and wracked his brain. He had thought he had managed to keep up with pop culture well enough, but maybe he should have brushed up on the past as well. The only thing he came up with was the phrase 'death to disco,' but from Gabriel's declaration, he didn't think that would go over too well. 'I…don't think I've ever heard any disco,' he eventually said, hoping it was a safe reply.

'What? Really?! KC and the Sunshine Band? Everyone's heard at least _one_ song by them!' Gabriel's face screwed up in confusion as Sam shrugged. 'Huh. We'll have to fix that.'

'Well, sharing your favorite music would be a better next step compared to sharing your bed,' Sam said with a warm smile.

Gabriel stared at Sam as he remembered how they had gotten on this line of thought. 'You sure about that? As of two hours ago, I have that room all to myself. No prying eyes… No interruptions… Just you and me getting to know each other better.'

'It is an enticing offer,' Sam admitted.

'Then let me repeat myself. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?'

'Peut-être demain soir,' Sam replied with a sly smile.

.-.-.-.-.

AN: As requested, translations:

Voulez-vous [...]?: Would you sleep with me tonight?  
N'est-ce [...]?: Isn't it a bit early for that?  
Vous allez bies?: Are you okay?  
Peut-être [...]: Maybe tomorrow night.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Dean has a plan.

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Benny rolled his eyes as another sighed drifted up from where Dean lay, sprawled out with his tail trailing in the water. It was too early in morning to be dealing with a love sick mermaid. He made his way to Dean and tugged the portable TV from the mermaid's hands. 'All right,' he said as he sat down, 'What's wrong?'

Dean stared at his hands for a minute before looking up at Benny. 'He didn't show up last night,' he said. 'He said he would and he…never showed up.'

Benny pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew exactly who Dean was talking about. All yesterday, after he had dropped Castiel off, Dean had gone on and on about the marine biologist. He had already had his ear talked off by Castiel just prior—the poor guy had a lot on his mind, and Benny had been willing to just let him talk. Unfortunately, Dean then needed to know everything that Castiel had said.

'Look, he probably forgot,' Benny said with a sigh. He was trying to be patient with Dean. He really was, but Dean's persistence on certain matters could get annoying. 'Getting fired is…stressful for humans, and exes…even more so.'

Dean rolled onto his back and stared at a cloud passing overhead. 'So…you think I still have a chance?'

'You want some advice?' Benny asked, and Dean nodded. 'Drop it.'

Dean turned his gaze to Benny, giving him a half-hearted glare. 'I don't want to. He's…gorgeous, and that voice is amazing, and… I like him,' he said, finishing with a small shrug.

'Dean…not everyone is trustworthy,' Benny said. 'Do you have any idea how easy it woulda been for me to let Desmond kill you? Hell, you're probably worth more alive! Do you _want_ to end up being dissected or as someone's _pet_?! You could be the next major attraction at Sea World. How's that sound?'

Dean sat up and crossed his arms. He tried to control his fins. Benny wasn't challenging him. He was just looking out for him. 'I don't think he'd do that,' he said quietly.

'You don't know that,' Benny pointed out. 'You don't know _him_.'

Dean's fins flared out as he had an idea. 'I'll get to know him.'

'What? How are you gonna manage that without him finding out about…you?' Benny asked, gesturing to Dean's tail. 'You can't date someone from under a dock.'

'You asked me before what I wanted for helping,' Dean said as he turned to face Benny with a happy grin. 'I want clothes.'

'Clothes… Dean, you don't…'

'I'll dry out,' he said, flicking his tail. 'I'll date him like a human!'

Benny stared at Dean. His eyes traveled over Dean's body and down the long tail. 'What?'

'I'll lose the tail,' Dean said. 'I'll have legs like a human. So…I want clothes. Clothes that are good for attracting a mate.'

Benny pulled his hat off and scratched his head. 'Okay,' he said reluctantly. 'I'll bring you some clothes tomorrow. I guess you'll be needin' a place to stay?'

'Only if my brother says I can't stay with him.'

.-.-.-.-.

Gabriel stood in front of a small waterfall. In front of him was the rest of the small film crew, sans Castiel. Whereas he was wearing jeans and a dark, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, everyone else wore shorts and t-shirts. On Balthazar's shoulder rested a large camera. He sighed to himself as he adjusted the focus and watched Gabriel check his reflection in a handheld mirror. To his right stood Charlie, holding up a boom mic. Samandriel and Anna were kneeling near Balthazar's other side; Anna was propping up a white piece of board and yawning while Samandriel reviewed his journal, a clapper resting against his ankle.

Gabriel bared his teeth and stuck out his tongue before deeming himself acceptable. 'Okay, I think I'm ready.'

'Been rolling for the past two minutes,' Balthazar said.

'If there's a gag reel, that's going on it,' Anna added.

'You're just jealous,' Gabriel said smugly.

'The only thing I'm jealous of is your paycheck,' Anna replied, earning grunts of agreement from the other three.

'Obviously, you're on the wrong side of the camera!'

'I'm good with this side,' Balthazar replied. 'If _I_ do something stupid, there won't be any publicity about it.'

'It was _one_ time!' Gabriel groaned.

'No…you've only been _caught_ one time,' Samandriel said with a big grin.

'Shut up, _Alfie_.'

'All of you shut up,' Anna said. 'I wanna get this done sometime today.'

Gabriel tossed the mirror to the ground and took a few deep breaths. He held the last one before exhaling slowly. He smirked at the camera gestured to the area around him. 'Next week, on _Mysterious Mysteries_, we head to the magical isle of Bora Bora! What secrets are hidden beneath the lush forest and pristine waters? Tune in and find out!'

He gave a wink as he raised his hand then snapped his fingers. After a moment's pause, he shifted his weight.

'Wait, do another one,' Charlie said, pressing her hand against her headphones. 'I keep picking up a loud bird… Just do it a couple times, and I'll fix it in post.'

Gabriel sighed and nodded. 'Isn't that why you always have me wait before talking? So you can just…pluck it out?'

Charlie stared at him. 'Yes. That's exactly how it works. I don't have to adjust any levels or anything. Your mic just picks up you. No way it picks up clothes moving or annoying birds going "ka-kaw". Do _you_ wanna do this?'

Gabriel waved his hands in front of himself. 'No, I'm good. I'll do it again.' He never wanted to see any editing program of any sort ever again.

Samandriel held up the clapper in front of the camera. 'Teaser take two.'

After four more takes, one where a gust of wind blew Gabriel's hair into his face, Charlie deemed them ready to move on to the next scene.

'Bora Bora… Tropical paradise. Tourist destination. _Exotic love affairs_!' Gabriel waggled his brows suggestively. 'What other wonders does this magical land hold? Could it possibly be the new home for a…_sea dragon_?'

'Cut!' Samandriel shouted.

Gabriel threw his arms up. 'Now what?!'

'You said "dragon." We're calling it "serpent," remember?' Samandriel said, shaking his journal at Gabriel.

'But that doesn't sound as cool,' Gabriel whined.

'We wanna be consistent,' Samandriel replied. 'Besides, aren't you trying to suck up to Castiel?'

Gabriel grimaced and nodded.

'Still rolling,' Balthazar said.

Samandriel raised the clapper. 'Opening take two…'

Gabriel shook his arms out before facing the camera again. 'Right… Okay… Bora Bora…'

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel waited for Crowley to answer the phone. The bungalow he was in was a lot nicer than he was expecting. He needed to get ahold of Crowley and find out exactly what was going to be expected of him in return as soon as possible.

'Hello, Castiel,' a woman's voice answered. 'Do you like the room?'

'Jody…hello. Um, yes. It's…very nice,' Castiel replied. 'I'm trying to reach Crowley.'

'Hm… He's a little tied up,' Jody said. Movement and the sound of bedsprings could be heard over the phone. 'Has my Roddy been a good boy? Has he earned a phone call?'

Castiel sighed and stared at the ceiling. 'I can call back later,' he offered.

'We were just finishing up,' Jody said over the sounds of rustling fabric and clasps.

'Castiel. So nice to hear from you,' Crowley said, his accented voice not quite clear. 'Darling, did you forget something? Mmm, thank you. Now, Castiel. To what do I owe the pleasure?'

'The uh…room's too nice,' Castiel replied, getting straight to the point.

'There's no such thing.'

'What do you want? What am I going to owe you?' Castiel asked as he paced the bungalow. He stopped as he exited onto the terrace and looked out at the darkening sky. He had to admit, the view was amazing.

'Like I said before,' Crowley replied, 'you're going to be getting quite popular soon enough. I want that popularity tied to my next project.'

'And that's all?' Castiel said, letting the suspicion seep through his voice. 'Forgive me if I don't believe you.'

'Look, I got an amazing deal on the room. It's off season, so it's no problem. Don't think about it too hard.'

'Uh-huh… Who did you blackmail?'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' Crowley replied.

Castiel could just imagine the smirk and sidelong glance that went with the tone. 'Fine. At least Muffin likes it,' he said as he watched the cat pace the edge of the plunge pool nearby.

'Yes. The cat,' Crowley said distastefully. 'No, you do not love that cat! That demon scratched—hey!'

'Cassie, tell Muffin I love him, and I'll see him soon!' Jody said cheerfully.

'See him… W-what?'

'Yes, wonderful. You ruined the surprise,' Crowley said, his voice becoming louder as he regained control of the phone.

'You're coming here? You're staying…_here_? With me? Why?!'

'Well…Jody does have some paid vacation saved up,' Crowley said. In the background, Jody let out a joyful cheer. 'We _were_ going to go skiing, but…you just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Off season Bora Bora. Decent weather. Cheaper.'

'Wetter,' Castiel said. 'You can't… I'm in this mess because of you!'

'I didn't get you fired.'

'No, but…' Castiel sighed and dropped the phone to his side. How could he phrase 'you made my ex break up with me' without sounding like a petulant teenager? He raised the phone back to his ear. 'Just…don't talk to the film crew. Okay? If they ask questions about us, don't answer.'

'Why would I _ever_ tell anyone about _anything_ we ever did? I stand to lose just as much as you do,' Crowley said angrily.

There was a loud, ratcheting click over the phone. 'Crowley?'

'I'm sorry, Cassie, but Roddy's under arrest,' Jody replied. 'Again.'

'Gonna make me _confess_?' said Crowley's partially muffled voice.

Castiel groaned in frustration. 'Can you at least tell me when you'll be here?'

'I think we were looking at about a week or so? I have a few loose ends to tie up, and Rod's got a lecture at the college in a few days,' Jody replied. 'Oh, and Cas?'

'Yes?'

'I know you don't wanna hear this, but I'm glad you're out of there.'

Castiel sighed as the line went dead. Everyone seemed to be happy for him. He wished he could feel the same way. Even if working under Naomi had been an absolute nightmare, at least he felt like he was useful. Even Inias had sounded jealous over Castiel's situation.

He reentered the bungalow, Muffin right on his heels. As he got ready for bed, he wondered if he would dream about 'Dean' again. For a drunken hallucination, Castiel certainly was hung up on him. He decided to enjoy his privacy while it lasted.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Dean learns about anatomy.

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Dean pulled himself onto the deck of Benny's boat. He was so excited that he had hardly slept the night before. 'Did you bring them?' he asked as he curled his tail around himself. His stomach was full of butterflies as the tip of his tail left the water.

Benny cut the engine and turned to Dean. 'Yeah, they're right over there,' he said, pointing to a duffel bag stuffed with clothing. He hoped that Dean would end up being a similar size. He had picked up a few outfits from a store, careful to avoid anything tourist-oriented. 'Brought you a few choices.'

Dean scooted over to the bag and peeked inside. He smiled widely as he pulled out several shirts, shorts, and pants. He looked at each item in awe. He marveled at how humans could create something so intricately woven. After several minutes, he looked up at Benny. 'So…how do I wear them?'

Benny crouched next to Dean and pulled a shirt from his unresisting hands. 'Tags go in the back. Rough seams go on the inside. These,' he said as he lifted up a pair of boxers, 'go under pants and shorts. If you're wearin' socks,' he lifted up a pair of socks and turned them over in his hands, 'this is where your heel should be.'

'And shoes?' Dean asked as he scratched at his hip where skin turned to scale.

Benny handed over a pair of plain, black canvas shoes. 'Suppose I'll have to teach you to tie your shoes…'

Dean nodded as he turned the shoes over in his hands. 'And these all look good?' he asked distractedly. His whole tail itched, and he could swear that his scales where shrinking and burning.

'With how much I paid, they'd better look good,' Benny muttered.

Dean suddenly uncurled his tail and stretched out his fins. He made a distressed whine, followed by a series of low clicks as he hugged his tail to himself.

'Dean?!'

'This is more than itching!' he groaned. He soon found that a little of the odd pain faded when he pressed his fins flat against his tail. He breathed out slowly as he looked at his tail. He could feel his bones fusing together and tail growing shorter, and his scales _were_ shrinking in size, leaving spots of human skin showing through. He fell onto his side and writhed as his fins seemed to melt away. He clenched his eyes shut and groaned when he felt the tip of his tail begin to split.

Benny tried to look away, but couldn't. As Dean's tail shrank, it began to resemble human legs. Soon, every last scale had faded, and Dean was left panting, hugging his new legs as tightly as possible. Carefully, Benny touched Dean's shoulder, causing him to jump. 'Hey… It's okay… Just me.'

Dean nodded jerkily and pushed himself upright. He flinched as Benny grabbed his arm and helped him. 'I'm fine… I'm…' He trailed off as he looked down to examine his new legs. He groaned and sagged forward as his eyes landed on the large scar on his left thigh. 'I won't be good enough,' he whispered.

Benny followed Dean's gaze and gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze. 'It's just a scar. Pretty good lookin' one, too.'

Dean traced the small slashes left by teeth. The skin was slightly raised and white. 'You sure?' he asked quietly. He stretched his legs out and ran his hands over his thighs. Everything felt different. Whereas he would normally feel slight pressure and temperature changes on his tail, his legs were highly sensitive. And they tingled and itch. He ran his nails over the fresh skin. 'They're like…arms. In the wrong place,' he said to himself.

'Think you can manage dressing on your own?' Benny asked.

Dean nodded, still feeling his legs and flexing his toes. He followed the path of his hand up his thigh to his hip and stopped. 'Uh… What's…wait. This is…' He took his penis in his hand and giggled. 'You keep it on the outside?! _Why?!_ You could hurt yourself!'

Benny rolled his eyes. 'Just be careful climbing over fences,' he said. 'Okay…you can stop touching yourself any time now. You can play with yourself later. When I'm not around.'

Dean reluctantly let go. 'But it feels good. A lot better than normal me. And it looks weird. Do they all look like this?' he asked in a worried tone.

'Yes. You look normal,' Benny replied.

'Do you think he'll like me?'

'I don't know!' Benny shouted. He took a deep breath and gave Dean an apologetic look. 'I don't know. You look fine. You look…normal.'

Dean stared at his knees. It was strange not having any markings. He took one of the shirts that Benny had given him and examined it. It was a plain, black t-shirt. He held it out and could see where his head and arms were supposed to go. 'Right… Tag in the back,' he muttered. He figured he would worry about putting his head though the top hole, then figure his arms out after. He scrunched up the fabric, careful to keep the tag on the right side. He put the shirt over his head then pushed one arm through an armhole, then the other. He pulled the bottom down, covering his stomach and frowned.

'Something wrong?' Benny asked.

'This feels weird,' Dean replied, constantly shifting and tugging at the loose fabric.

'Wait 'til you try some pants,' Benny said with a laugh.

Dean frowned as he looked at a pair of jeans and a pair of shorts. 'So…scars are…okay?' he asked uncertainly. At Benny's nod, he tossed the jeans aside. He would get used to the sensation of shorts first.

'Boxers first,' Benny reminded. 'Unless you're goin' commando.'

'Right. Uh…'

'These ones,' Benny said, handing Dean a pair of dark green boxers. They were similar in color to the darker stripes of Dean's tail.

'Got it. Um…what's this hole for?' Dean asked, poking his fingers through the part in the front. 'Wait. Is it for fucking around?'

Benny coughed and covered his face. 'No. It's for when you gotta take a piss,' he explained.

Dean frowned in disappointment. He brought his legs to his chest and stared at his ankles. He knew he would have to spread his legs apart at some point. He tried wiggling the toes on just one foot, but it wasn't working. He sighed in irritation as he grabbed one of his legs, placing a hand between his knees, then tried to straighten the other.

As Dean worked on figuring out how his new legs worked, Benny worked around him. Every once in a while, Dean would look up and watch how his human friend moved. For such short, inflexible appendages, legs seemed to provide quite a bit of maneuverability.

By the time Benny had caught a decent amount to call it a day, Dean had finished dressing. He was impressed that the mermaid had figured out how to tie his shoes on his own.

Dean smiled proudly from where he sat on the deck. 'How do I look?' he asked.

'Like a human,' Benny replied, earning the brightest smile he had seen since Dean had first been given the small television.

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel huffed as he switched the bag of scuba gear to his other shoulder. Just behind him was Balthazar, easily keeping pace. 'You really don't have to help,' he said. 'I certainly don't expect it.'

'Yeah, running off didn't win you any points,' Balthazar replied. He carried a small load of underwater camera equipment as he followed Castiel to where the Four Seasons had a ferry. 'And this is… Cas, this is ridiculous! You don't need to stay somewhere else.'

'Yes, I do! I don't want to be here. I don't want be around…around _anyone_ right now!' Castiel shouted. He set down his gear at the edge of the pier and looked around in desperation. 'Where is it?' he mumbled.

'Good. Maybe we can actually _talk_, now!'

Castiel turned to Balthazar and gave him a weary stare. 'I just want to be left alone. Can you _please_ do that? I'm obviously not welcome, so I'm doing my best to rectify the situation.'

'By wasting money on a four star resort?' Balthazar asked as he crossed his arms.

'I'm not wasting money,' Castiel retorted. 'Crowley—'

'_Crowley?!_ You're still… Oh, my God! What is _wrong_ with you?!'

'Everything, apparently!' Castiel turned and almost started walking onto the pier, but stopped himself as he realized he would be trapped. He needed to get away. He needed to hide. In the distance he could hear his name being shouted. He turned around to shout back at Balthazar. 'Just fuck…' He quickly trailed off when he noticed that Balthazar wasn't even looking at him, and his name was still being shouted. He looked to where Balthazar was staring and froze.

'D-Dean?! What… Oh, God.' Castiel covered his mouth with his hand as he hugged himself. His heart beat faster and faster as the small fishing vessel drew closer.

Balthazar looked from the boat to Castiel and back. He had never seen Castiel blush so brightly for any reason. He narrowed his eyes at the boat. Now that he thought about it, it did look a little familiar. 'Castiel, what did you do after you ditched me?' he quietly asked.

Castiel glanced at Balthazar in confusion. 'After I…what? Oh… Oh! No! I didn't _do_ anything! I met him before that! And he wasn't on that boat when _I_ got on!' he said defensively. He bit at his lip as his eyes darted between Dean and Balthazar. He made up his mind and headed onto the pier. 'Hello, Dean,' he greeted when he reached the end of the pier. 'It _is_ "Dean," isn't it?'

Dean's smile widened as he stared at Castiel. 'For a moment, I thought you'd completely forgotten about me!'

Castiel slowly shook his head, aware of Balthazar coming up to stand just behind him. 'I uh…wasn't sure that you were…real,' he said with some difficulty.

'Why would you think that?' Dean asked. He eyed the wooden pier from his position on the boat. He was leaning against the side, still not quite trusting himself to stand on his own.

'Well, I was pretty drunk at the time,' Castiel replied, ducking his head at Balthazar's annoyed grunt. 'I either forget things or make them up. Or uh… Look, I am so, _so_ sorry about what happened!'

Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. 'Sorry? For what?'

'The way I behaved? I don't normally do that!'

'He doesn't,' Balthazar agreed. 'It's only when he's drunk off his ass that he throws himself at anything with two legs.'

Castiel shot Balthazar a dirty look before looking back at Dean. 'As I said, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.'

Dean laughed and took a step to the side. His ankle gave out, and he went down, fast.

'Dean?!' Castiel strode forward and saw Benny do the same. He watched as Benny helped Dean to stand and frowned as the two had a short, hushed conversation.

'I'm okay,' Dean said after he shoved Benny off. 'Just…uh… Weak ankles. Or something.'

Castiel's eyes followed Benny, not missing the irritated look Benny gave Dean. 'So…Benny is your brother?' he asked.

Dean snorted as he shook his head. 'Nah, Benny's a lot cooler than _my_ brother,' he replied. 'Hey, I'm on my way to see him. You wanna come with?'

Castiel blinked at the invitation. 'Um…'

'He can't,' Balthazar replied. 'His boat's here.'

Castiel's eyes focused on the ferry that was slowly approaching. It was true that he needed to get back to the hotel, but the ferry ran fairly often. He could always catch a later one. 'Actually,' he said softly, 'I would love to meet your brother.'

'Cas,' Balthazar hissed as he gently took Castiel by the arm and led him a few feet away. 'You don't know anything about this guy!'

'I know Benny,' Castiel replied, looking over his shoulder at Dean.

'Barely! And even _that_ was a stupid stunt you pulled!'

Castiel looked back at Balthazar, searching his eyes for an answer. 'Why does it matter to you?'

Balthazar let go of Castiel and sighed. 'Because, against my better judgment, I…I still care.'

Castiel narrowed his eyes at Balthazar. 'Then why are you so hostile toward me?'

Balthazar shook his head sadly. 'It's hard being around you. Looking at you, being around you…I know why fell for you. But then you go and say or do something stupid, and I remember why I left.'

With a shaky breath, Castiel looked away.

'Right. Go. Go play with your new boytoy,' Balthazar said as he handed the camera equipment to Castiel. 'Hope you're happy in your little fantasy world. Just don't get yourself killed.'

Castiel didn't know how he should feel as he watched Balthazar walk away. The sound of someone landing on the pier drew his attention, and he looked back toward the boat. He tilted his head as he watched Dean stretch his arms out for balance.

Dean tried to steady himself. He probably should have practiced a little more before getting off the boat. Especially since he was aiming to impress Castiel. He took a careful step forward and lost his balance. 'Dammit!'

'Dean!' Castiel rushed to Dean's side. He carefully set the camera equipment down and placed his hand on Dean's shoulder. 'Are you okay?'

Dean nodded as he got his feet back under him. 'Yeah… Swimmin's easier,' he said as he stood up.

'I understand,' Castiel said emphatically. 'I prefer to be in the water myself.'

Dean smiled, and Castiel blushed lightly, causing Dean's smile to grow. 'We'll have to go swimming together sometime.'

'I…would like that,' Castiel said. He stooped down to retrieve the camera equipment. 'Um… If it's not too much trouble…can you help me carry that other bag?' he asked, pointing to the bag at the edge of the pier.

Dean looked to where Castiel was pointing and nodded. 'Sure. If you don't mind it getting' dropped.'

'That's why _I'm_ carrying this one,' Castiel said, readjusting his hold on the bag he carried.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Dean learns about coffee.

.-.-.-.-.  
Fishsticks  
.-.-.-.-.

Castiel walked beside Dean as they headed along the pathway. Dean would stumble once in a while, but quickly regained his footing. Not once did Dean drop the scuba gear, for which Castiel was grateful. They slowed down again as Dean looked out towards the lagoon and along the coastline. When his eyes landed on a large palm tree, he picked up the pace again.

'I don't want to come off as offensive, but…do you know where you're going?' Castiel asked.

'Sorta,' Dean admitted, giving Castiel a small grin. 'Not used to getting there from this way.'

'You'd rather swim there,' Castiel said. 'Naked. I distinctly remember you saying you were skinny dipping.'

'Hey. Don't knock it 'til you try it,' Dean said defensively.

'I have,' Castiel replied with a soft smile. When Dean didn't react, he pressed further. 'On multiple occasions. With multiple people. I've been streaking.'

Dean smiled at Castiel, the term completely lost on him. 'That sounds fun. How did it go?' he asked, trying to get more information without actually having to ask.

Castiel blinked. He wasn't expecting Dean's reaction. Shock, yes. Disgust, maybe. But this? 'Um… It was amusing…until I was arrested,' he replied. His mouth snapped shut at the confession. 'Please don't tell anyone!'

'Don't worry,' Dean said. 'I've got a few secrets of my own.'

'Maybe…we could trade a few over a drink sometime,' Castiel suggested, his smile returning.

Dean nodded as he examined his surroundings. 'I'd like that,' he said distractedly. 'Um… I think…it's around here somewhere.'

'The hotel I was staying at is just ahead,' Castiel said, pointing. 'They might know.'

'Hotel… He said "house." Is there a house around here?'

'Um… Singer…Hotel? It was converted from a large house.'

Dean wracked his mind to remember everything Sam had told him. 'Is Sam Winchester staying there?'

Castiel stared at Dean in shocked silence.

'Cas?'

Castiel nodded. 'Y-yes. He uh…works there, actually,' he eventually replied.

Dean smiled widely. 'Great! You know where it is, so you can lead the way.'

.-.-.-.-.

Karen looked up from her magazine as the bell on the lobby door chimed. She smiled as Castiel and a young man she didn't recognize entered. 'Change your mind?' she asked.

'Not exactly,'Castiel replied. 'Dean is here to see his brother.' He looked at Dean to find him staring around the lobby in unmasked awe and curiosity. 'Dean?'

'Yeah…Sam,' Dean mumbled as his eyes traced over every inch of the interior. Human dwellings were so new to him. He had seen plenty on TV, but to actually be _in_ one, was a whole other story.

'Sam's…brother. Brother? You're Sam's _brother_?' Karen asked, staring at Dean.

Dean turned to face Karen. 'Oh! Yeah, uh, hi! What's that?' he asked, pointing to the large tiki head that loomed behind Karen.

Karen blinked and looked over her shoulder. 'It's just a…decoration. I like tiki bars,' she explained and looked back at Dean. With all the mermaids in the current vicinity, she wondered if she should change the name of the hotel.

The door to the dining room opened, and Sam came in, carrying a tool box. 'Sink's fixed,' he declared. 'Just…be careful with what you… What the fuck are you doing here?!'

'I have the same reaction with _my_ brother,' Castiel said as he carefully set his camera equipment down and took the scuba gear from Dean.

Dean grinned at Sam and spread his arms, showing off his new look. 'Well? Whaddya think?'

'I think we need to talk,' Sam replied in a monotone. He set the toolbox on the front desk and grabbed his brother by the collar. He led Dean down the open hallway and into one of the rooms, shutting the door behind them.

Castiel and Karen stared at each other, and Castiel shrugged. 'As I said: I have the same reaction.'

.-.-.-.-.

'Why are you here?' Sam hissed the moment the door closed.

'Hey, _you_ offered!' Dean retorted, crossing his arms.

'Offered? Offered _what_?! Dean, you are playing with fire here!' Sam quickly strode to his window and shut it then drew the curtains before facing Dean.

'For me to stay with you,' Dean said uncertainly. 'Is that…still okay?'

Sam leaned against the wall as he stared at Dean. 'Well…yeah. I guess, but…'

'Then it's settled!'

'No, it's not…settled. Dean…'

'Sam. I know what I'm doing,' Dean said calmly. 'I'm chasing a mate, and I'm tryin' to do it as human as I can. I can use any help you're willin' to give.'

Sam sighed and nodded. 'I still think this is a bad idea.' He shook his head with a sigh and looked around his room. 'I guess I can find a mattress or a cot or something for you… Uh… How much did Benny explain to you about…well, everything?' he asked. If his brother was intent on 'chasing a mate,' then Sam needed to make sure that Dean wouldn't end up blowing his cover. And certainly not around the marine biologist.

'Clothes, bathrooms, money… Basic stuff, I guess,' Dean replied. 'A lot of it I already knew from TV.'

'I can only imagine what you learned from _TV_,' Sam muttered under his breath. 'Okay, so you obviously get clothes… Have you been _in_ a bathroom yet?'

Dean shook his head. 'I know that I'm s'posed to go in the one with the little man on the door. Not the skirt.'

Dean had no idea how lucky he was. He could speak a human language right out of the water. He already knew a little about human customs and societal standards. For a moment, Sam was jealous that _he_ hadn't been caught in some fisherman's net. He reminded himself that Dean had been extremely lucky with Benny. How many other humans would have reacted the same way?

Sam waved Dean over as he headed to the partially opened door next to his closet. 'C'mon. I'll explain toilets and save you some of the embarrassment of figuring it out on your own.'

'The handle's for flushing,' Dean said, proud that he knew something of how they worked.

Sam raised his eyes to the ceiling as he flicked on the light in the bathroom. 'Exactly, but I'm gonna explain urinals and lifting the seat. And putting the seat back down.'

.-.-.-.-.

Castiel waited awkwardly for Dean to return. He could feel Karen's eyes on him, and he didn't know if he was supposed to be making idle chitchat or not.

'Are you going to be on the show, too?' Karen suddenly asked. When Castiel nodded, she smiled and hummed appreciatively. 'I can see why. Be prepared for all the fan mail.'

'Fan mail?' Castiel asked uneasily. He had only been on screen a few times for the various documentaries he had worked on. He preferred the behind the scenes work: research, location scouting, and animal wrangling. There was one documentary where he had actually spoken on camera, and he had received one piece of fan mail. It had been addressed to 'the guy with the sex hair, blue eyes, and bedroom voice.' The contents of the letter had him worried over the sender's sanity.

Karen nodded with a big smile as she rested her chin on her hand. 'I just might be one of the ones sending you letters,' she said. She laughed at Castiel's lost stare. 'Be sure to get a lot of headshots made. I'm sure your brother can explain it to you.'

'Headshots? But…I'm not famous! I'm not going to _be_ famous. I'm just…doing this for my brother,' Castiel said, shifting uncomfortably. 'I don't… I don't have the same…presence as Gabriel.'

Karen shook her head as she laughed softly. 'Oh, Gabe's a cutie, all right. And his enthusiasm is _contagious_! But don't underestimate yourself, honey. Whether you're any good won't matter to some people.'

The door that Sam and Dean had disappeared into opened, and Castiel breathed a sigh of relief. He caught Dean's confused stare, and Dean smiled as he pushed past Sam. 'I hope you haven't been tormenting your brother,' Castiel said when Dean stood in front of him.

'Only the normal amount,' Dean replied with a laugh.

Sam shook his head as he came up to Karen. 'Hey, uh… Is it okay if Dean stays with us for a while? Just while he…settles,' he asked, keeping an eye on Dean and Castiel. All the signs were there: the way Dean leaned toward Castiel, the tilt of his head, the slight smile… Dean was definitely on the hunt for a mate. 'Or loses interest.'

'He's welcome to stay as long as he needs,' Karen replied. 'Should I look into getting an enclosed pond in the back? We could…cater to a certain crowd.'

Sam's shoulders drooped, and he leaned on the desk. 'Please don't,' he quietly begged. 'We are insane. It's not worth it.'

They looked over as Castiel burst out laughing.

'No…uh… I mean… I'm not opposed, but…' Castiel covered his mouth as he was overcome with giggles.

Dean waited patiently for Castiel to recover. Even though he should probably be embarrassed, it was worth it to see the way Castiel's eyes and nose crinkled as he smiled and to hear his laugh. He looked over as the front door opened and a small group entered. He smiled when he recognized Charlie. 'Hey, Spot!'

'Freckles,' Charlie greeted cautiously as she looked from Dean to Castiel. She raised a brow as Dean stepped closer to Castiel.

'Cas?' Gabriel offered a smile as he pushed his sunglasses on top of his head. 'I thought you were leaving?'

Castiel gasped and waved his hand if front of his face as he looked up at the ceiling. 'Okay, I'm good. Yes. I'm…heading back…and…' He glanced at Dean and smiled. 'Coffee. Coffee-coffee. I'll…pop your _coffee cherry_,' he managed to say as he peeled off with renewed laughter.

'I'm missing something,' Gabriel muttered as he looked between his brother and the man he'd never seen before. 'I know Cas has a skewed sense of humor, but this is…weird.'

Dean shrugged. 'I just wanted to know if he meant coffee as in the drink or coffee as in sex,' he explained. 'Never had coffee, and he didn't believe me, so… I thought he meant sex?'

'_We can do both!_' Castiel screamed and leaned into Dean's chest, cackling. 'He _said that_!'

Gabriel thinned his lips as he stared at Dean. 'And _who_ are you?' he asked, crossing his arms as he threw a glare at Dean's hands on his brother's shoulders. The last thing his brother needed was someone taking advantage of his fragile state.

'Someone that has to clarify coffee or _coffee_!' Castiel replied between laughs.

'Uh, Dean's my…brother,' Sam replied. He offered Gabriel an apologetic smile.

Gabriel scratched his head as he looked back at Castiel giggling helplessly in Dean's arms. 'I don't know who I'm supposed to threaten…'

'How about we agree that we're all adults and no one needs to be threatened,' Sam said. His eyes drifted back to Dean and Castiel, and he frowned as Dean's arms traveled lowered on Castiel's back. 'Yet.'

Castiel reluctantly left Dean's arms and wiped at his eyes. 'I hope you're always like this,' Castiel said quietly. 'There's an espresso machine in my room. So, yes. Coffee. The _drink_.'

'And if you spike it, then coffee. The activity,' Anna added, earning sniggers from Samandriel and Charlie.

Dean frowned as Castiel's eyes suddenly went cold. 'Cas?'

'I'll be going, now,' he said testily and shouldered the bag of camera equipment. He glanced at Dean and quickly looked away, blushing at Dean's curious look. 'I'd still appreciate the help.'

Dean nodded and picked up the bag of scuba gear and followed Castiel out of the hotel, throwing a confused look over his shoulder. He wondered why the redhead's comment would cause such a change in Castiel's behavior.

'Was that really necessary?' Gabriel asked Anna.

'I'm just teasing out of jealousy,' Anna replied. 'Hell, I would _love_ to get some _coffee_ with that guy. _Any_ of Cas's exes. He's shitty at keeping them, but he's got good taste.'

'Does that mean you've set your sights on Balthazar?' Samandriel asked with a small smile. 'I could schedule you two for shooting some interviews.'

Anna blushed brightly as laughter broke out around her. She hadn't meant to set herself up for that one. What was worse, she couldn't tell if Samandriel was being serious.


End file.
